Pokemon Champions Has Its First Official Nerf Candidate

Pokemon Champions already has a Pokemon that fans would like to see nerfed in the future. A free-to-start title that focuses on traditional turn-based battling, Pokemon Champions was released on the Nintendo Switch on April 8, 2026, with a version of the game for mobile phones planned for release within the same calendar year.

Inspired by the beloved Pokemon Stadium games for the Nintendo 64, Pokemon Champions allows players to face off against each other in single or double battles. Fans can either use Pokemon acquired through the game’s recruitment system, with a limited number of creatures available to recruit each day, or they can import their pocket monsters to Pokemon Champions via Home, allowing long-time players to utilize the creatures captured in other games from the franchise.

Pokemon Champions Fans Call for Incineroar to Be Nerfed Just Days After Launch

Fans of Pokemon Champions are calling for Incineroar to be nerfed in the game just days after the title was officially launched. The outcry comes in the wake of Champions’ first major online tournament, which featured the Fire-type Pokemon in 53.76% of its teams, according to a tweet from stat tracker VGChampStats. After the usage chart was reposted by Reddit user PrestigiousGift5639 on the game’s subReddit, commenters began pointing out the fact that Incineroar has been dominant in the overall Pokemon meta for quite some time, with many hoping that the fire-based starter would have its effectiveness reduced in the near future.

Already considered one of the strongest team members for Pokemon Champions players to recruit, Incineroar benefits from a variety of affects that make it problematic for opposing trainers. As Reddit user chargerfan1221 points out, the Pokemon’s Intimidate ability reduces the attack power of opponents immediately, while the move Fake Out can be used to allow Incineroar to attack first, granting it an instant strategic advantage. Add in the effect of the move Parting Shot, which decreases the attack power of the opponent’s Pokemon even further while also forcing the trainer to swap them out for a different team member, and Incineroar’s effectiveness in battle quickly becomes clear.

Players have been vocal in their displeasure with Pokemon Champions’ launch, which includes a variety of bugs and balance issues. The fan reaction has been strong enough to prompt an apology from Pokemon Champions publisher The Pokemon Company, who have promised to fix the problems that have appeared in early versions of the game. The response to Incineroar appears to be just as strong, with Reddit user Fearyn admitting that the Pokemon’s frequent domination of the series’ meta “ruins the fun” of playing. As user seik_22 puts it, “I think it’s time to put down the cat,” with many players seemingly agreeing with this sentiment.

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With the game’s free-to-start structure, the onus is on the developers to justify Pokemon Champions’ paid membership. In order to make fans feel that investing in the game is worth it, feedback needs to be addressed directly, and adjusting the game’s meta may be necessary to prevent certain Pokemon from becoming too prevalent. If everyone is utilizing the same strategies and teams in a PvP-focused game like Pokemon Champions, players may quickly find themselves moving on to other, more balanced games.