Pokémon Players Roast Woeful Free Nintendo Switch Game Launch

The new Pokémon game for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a poor start following severe backlash to its limited offering.

Pokémon Champions launched today and while it’s playable on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, the latter console has reportedly received no noticeable improvements despite its more advanced hardware.

This means the game is locked at a mere 30fps but that’s far from its biggest problem, as players are pulling the game apart for a number of reasons online.

In short, Pokémon Champions is a free-to-play battle simulator that’s supposed to be reminiscent of Pokémon Stadium or Pokémon Colosseum.

Pokémon Home can be connected to it allowing you to transfer your own Pokémon from other Nintendo Switch games like Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.

It all sounds good on paper and many were excited for its release but come launch, they were met with nothing short of disappointment. Even some of the freebies released for the game haven’t quelled the outrage.

Read More: Pokémon Drops New Nintendo Switch Freebie After Failed Launch.

Pokémon Champions Has Fainted

So what’s wrong with the game? At the time of writing, the game is suffering from some minor performance issues on both consoles but the biggest problem stems from the actual content.

The roster apparently has less Pokémon than Pokémon Stadium 2 according to Centro LEAKS on X, which for context supported 251 ‘mon.

Pokémon Champions TERRIBLE launch:

- Less Pokémon than Pokémon Stadium 2
- No 6v6 battles
- Performance issues even on Switch 2
- Slow, clunky menus
- Always online required, no more local wireless battles
- Tons of competitive items removed
- Rental Teams becoming completely… pic.twitter.com/tFfJdORX6H

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) April 8, 2026

The above is made worse by the fact the game’s Rental Teams, in place for those who can’t transfer their own teams, are sub-par and ultimately useless if you want to be competitive.

Game modes are also a point of contention, as the game is online-only meaning you can’t have local multiplayer battles with friends. In fact, there’s no singleplayer mode whatsoever, meaning you’re always having to go online rather than potentially face NPC opponents instead.

The only silver lining here is that Nintendo Switch Online isn’t required for multiplayer.

However, the biggest sin Pokémon Champions commits is there are no 6v6 battles.

For the longest time, Pokémon battles have allowed players to form their own teams of six ‘mon and pit them against each other, but that’s not possible in this free-to-play game.

This has been by far the most prominent criticism we’ve seen of the game so far.

Even Joe Merrick from Serebii has weighed in on the game’s launch with a post saying, “Going from the perfection of Pokopia to this...whiplash.”

Pokémon Champion’s launch day is rough to say the least - and while the game is free-to-play, it’s clear players were expecting more.