Pokemon Ends Competitive Pokken After 2022 World Championships

Pokken Tournament DX has been a part of Pokemon's official competitive scene for the last few years, but it seems that will be coming to an end following the 2022 Pokemon World Championships. The Pokemon Company announced the decision today via the @PlayPokemon Twitter account, and while the decision isn't too surprising, many fans have already expressed sadness to see the game's competitive support coming to an end. Of course, players will still be able to compete against one another through Nintendo Switch Online, but for those that enjoyed competing through in-person events, this is sure to be a bummer.

"When the 2022 Season concludes, #PokkenTournamentDX will no longer be part of the #PlayPokemon program," the company wrote on Twitter. "We acknowledge this game's incredible community & its unwavering support. Thank you for creating great moments and memories with us throughout the years. Pokken is powerful!"

Developed by Bandai Namco, Pokken Tournament takes the gameplay of Tekken, while adding in various characters and elements from the Pokemon franchise. Pokken Tournament began life as a Japanese arcade game in 2015, and was ported to Wii U in 2016. In 2017, Pokken Tournament DX released on Nintendo Switch, compiling the playable characters from both versions, while adding exclusive new characters. The game received some DLC support, but the final content released in early 2018. Given that the game has seen little support for more than four years, it's not surprising that The Pokemon Company decided to pull the plug!

Today's announcement has prompted some fans to share their hopes for a sequel. Producer Katsuhiro Harada told fans in 2021 that he would be open to creating a Pokken Tournament follow-up, but noted that the final decision was on Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. Given the strong relationship between Bandai Namco and The Pokemon Company, it certainly seems like a possibility. For now, fans will just have to wait and see!

Pokken Tournament DX is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Are you a fan of Pokken Tournament DX? Would you like to see a sequel to the game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!