After a relatively quiet marketing cycle, Pokemon Champions will release for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on April 8th. The game centers around Pokemon battles, with players recruiting or transferring their teams and taking them to the PvP arena. It is intended as the future of competitive play, as the new go-to game for Play! Pokemon virtual battle events and championships. But the game’s ultimate success with the broader fanbase is largely going to depend on how Pokemon Champions handles the bane of every free-to-start game’s existence: monetization.
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Recently, I had the opportunity to check out Pokemon Champions early at a preview event. We played on the Switch 2, getting a firsthand look at the game’s upgraded visuals on the newest Nintendo console. Looks-wise, I was pretty impressed. But I couldn’t help but notice just how often the game asked me to pay up Victory Points (VP) to do, well… pretty much everything. Monetization is a given in free-to-start games like Champions, so I wasn’t surprised to see an in-game currency. How that currency is balanced for free-to-play and paid users will be especially important for a game like this, however, because it’s so geared at PvP gameplay.
Pokemon Champions Will Need to Tread Carefully to Avoid Pay-to-Win Woes
When free-to-play games have a heavy PvP component, monetization becomes an even bigger concern. It’s no longer just about how frustrating it is for free-to-play users to grind for new cosmetics or features. In a game where training Pokemon for battle requires in-game currency, it’s easy for some players to pay into the game to try and gain an edge. And Pokemon Champions is going to need to strike a balance here to avoid shutting out more casual players with its paid model.
During my play experience, I noticed that many key elements of recruiting and training Pokemon will cost VP. Adding a new Pokemon to your team from the Recruit menu has a VP cost. So does training the Pokemon to alter its stats, moves, etc. And buying their held items? Yep, that also comes with a VP cost associated. What I couldn’t tell from my hands-on experience was how easy it will be for free-to-play gamers to acquire the VP needed to craft a competitively viable team. If the grind is too punishing, players who aren’t able or willing to spend for the game’s Battle Pass or additional VP top-offs could get left behind, leaving a pay-to-win situation.
As of now, it’s unclear if bringing your existing team of Pokemon hard-hitters from Pokemon HOME will have a VP cost. If transfers are free or significantly lower in VP cost than adding new Recruits, this could be one way that Champions can balance out its competitive pool. Players could transfer in their lineup at no cost, saving their VP for the stats and move changes they may need to stand a chance in the competitive ranks.
So far, Pokemon Champions has shared that the game will have a seasonal Battle Pass. Much like the Pokemon Go Pass, it will have both a free and paid Premium tier. Players will be able to earn in-game rewards by completing the Battle Pass. The game will also have an optional Starter Pack purchase that gives players more Pokemon storage space and the ability to save additional Battle Teams to their accounts. The US prices for these features haven’t yet been officially revealed, and we don’t yet know how much VP will cost to top off, either. The price points here, along with the ease of earning required currency in-game, will be a key make-or-break point for the future of Champions.
Pokemon Champions May Have Already Sidestepped One Key Monetization Complaint from Prior Pokemon Games
Another big complaint with in-game monetization is currency overload. We’ve seen it with prior Pokemon games, including Pokemon TCG Pocket. Too many different currencies to earn is both confusing and punishing for free-to-play players. My experience with Champions so far suggests that the game may avoid this common free-to-play complaint.
The Battle Pass does seem to offer some currency I didn’t see during my playthrough. But the tickets depicted in the reward screens look like alternatives to save you some VP rather than separate, required currency. When I played Pokemon Champions, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Victory Points did appear to be the game’s sole, main currency. Recruiting and training all pulled from an existing pool of VP. No additional Hourglasses or Stardust required. Coming from the multi-currency world of Pokemon TCG Pocket, this is honestly a huge improvement.
Until we actually get into the full world of Champions and dig around, I can’t say for sure that the game has streamlined its monetization. But my initial take shows that it has at least avoided currency bloat. So, if the balance of earning free in-game currency and a reasonable price for paid features is handled well, Champions has a good chance of being a solid free-to-start entry. For now, though, that’s a pretty big if, and I’ll be waiting to see more of the game before making any final decisions about whether this is joining my regular rotation of free-to-play games.
Are you planning to pay for premium features in Pokemon Champions, or are you waiting to see how things shake out first? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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