Game Freak intends for Pokémon Champions to serve as a dedicated space for the series' long-standing turn-based battle system, potentially freeing up future main series titles to explore new combat mechanics. This approach aims to accommodate long-time fans of the traditional format while enabling evolution for the franchise.
In a video on the studio's YouTube channel, game designer Shigeki Morimoto and Champions co-director Kazumasa Iwao explained that the desire to preserve the established rules for competitive play was a key motivation behind developing Pokémon Champions. They acknowledged that the series has been using a consistent battle system for decades, dating back to Pokémon Red and Green and Gold and Silver. The challenge, Morimoto noted, was how to evolve the series without alienating players who have invested heavily in the existing system.
"The battle system, the rules for competitive Pokémon battles that we’ve been using throughout the Pokémon series for so long, may gradually start changing as the Pokémon series moves forward," Morimoto stated. "And when that happens, there are people who have been enjoying the existing style of Pokémon battles for decades... So simply saying, ‘The battles have changed, so now please go play the new version,’ didn’t really feel right either." This sentiment, he explained, had been a persistent concern at Game Freak.
To address this, the team decided to create a distinct game that would carry forward the existing battle system indefinitely. This allowed them to simultaneously pursue innovation in other titles without abandoning the core turn-based experience. "We also didn’t want to neglect the battle system we’ve had up until now. So we thought: maybe it would be good to make one game that carries forward the existing battle system and lets people continue playing it indefinitely. I think that was really the starting point for the development of Pokémon Champions," Iwao added.
While this strategy allows for experimentation in future Pokémon games, specific details regarding these potential changes remain undisclosed. The real-time mechanics introduced in Pokémon Legends: Z-A offered a glimpse into possible directions, though this shift proved divisive among fans. Speculation based on internet leaks suggests that the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves may retain the traditional turn-based style, but the long-term trajectory of the series' combat system is still uncertain, with future titles expected to explore different approaches.