- Primary Subject: Pokémon Champions (Launch Version 1.0.0)
- Key Update: Launched yesterday (April 8, 2026), the game officially restricts the roster to 215 fully evolved Pokémon, excluding all "Not Fully Evolved" (NFE) species to streamline the experience for the new Switch 2 audience.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: April 9, 2026
- Quick Answer: Pokémon Champions limits its roster to fully evolved Pokémon to increase newcomer accessibility, though critics argue this sacrifices strategic depth, team diversity, and creative "anti-meta" plays.
Pokemon Champions has recently been released, and every fan has been having a blast with it. The game has certainly done its job in appeasing and satisfying the more competitive players, with many already getting right into the action and duking it with others to see who's the best of the best.
For what it offers, it is certainly enjoyable, and I am excited to see how far Nintendo and Game Freak will take it with future updates. However, there is one problem I have with the game, and it's that the roster only has fully evolved Pokemon.
The reason for this decision is to ensure that Pokemon Champions is made more accessible to newcomers, as including stage one or early evolutions of Pokemon might make it harder for them to determine which ones are the best for the most optimal teams. And while that seems reasonable, I think it's limiting and has a huge negative impact on the overall experience.
One reason is that this particular restriction doesn't allow players to learn about all the different strategies that are possible. When you play Pokemon competitively, every monster has some form of viability. Even if it's something that many consider to be the weakest, the most creative players can devise ways to utilize it to catch anyone off guard.
For example, most newcomers would usually brush off a Ratata, thinking that they can easily destroy it with a powerful move since it's a stage one Pokemon. However, that's the trap that the person using it is counting on, as they would make it hold a Focus Sash that allows them to survive a killing blow, use Facade to bring the opponent to the same amount of health, and then follow it up with Quick Attack to take out the threat.
It is a well-known strategy now, but back in the early days, it certainly surprised many. Something like that is only possible with early evolutions of Pokemon. And there are more of such, which added a layer of unpredictability that made matches more exciting and worth looking forward to. Both the giving and receiving sides stand to benefit from the knowledge gained by using them, which is why it's such a shame that they won't exist in Pokemon Champions.
Another reason why it's a mistake to limit the roster to only fully evolved Pokemon is that it makes it easier to define what is strongest in the meta. Again, I understand that the decision was to make it easier for newcomers to choose what they please without being at too much of a disadvantage against more experienced players.
However, the problem with doing that is that those with superior knowledge will be the ones to figure out which ones are the best to use easily, and will likely utilize them continuously since they work in achieving the highest amount of wins possible. When that happens, many others, including newcomers, will be forced to use them as well, given that they prove to be effective.
Such a thing will destroy team diversity, and players will likely only see the same powerful Pokemon over and over again. This then leads to battles becoming stale and perhaps even boring, since many would rather follow the meta than try out other strong Pokemon that just aren't as effective.
This likely wouldn't be an issue if early evolutions of Pokemon were included in the game, as they could have had the potential to change the meta if certain players figured out the best ways to. It comes back to how unpredictably they can be used to catch anyone off guard, as they can plow through even the most used in the meta if nobody is prepared for them.
Technically, catching people unaware is still possible even with the current roster of only fully evolved Pokemon, as there are still many different choices available. However, the different options aren't as much compared to the amount possible if early evolutionary stages were allowed, so it's likely players will easily figure them out and prepare for them, forcing players to stick to what's good in the current meta.
The final reason why I think the limitation is a mistake is that it makes the game feel smaller than it is. The franchise is well known for having over a thousand different creatures, with more coming on the way with Pokemon Winds and Waves, so you'd have thought that the roster would have a lot to choose from.
But because only fully evolved Pokemon are allowed, what was supposed to be a huge number dwindled to something much smaller. Add that to the fact that not every fully evolved Pokemon will be available, and now the game is down to having roughly around 200 instead of the sheer amount of options it could have had.
Pokemon Champions could have been the definitive competitive experience, but the small roster really holds it back from becoming it. Perhaps one day there will be an update to include more monsters, potentially even the early evolutions, but until then, players will have to settle for what's available.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming features and opinions.