Last updated on April 4, 2026
Pokémon Champions arrives on April 8, 2026, and it’s already making waves before launch day. Not because of its graphics or its new mechanics. But because of what it’s leaving out.
The game will launch with only fully evolved Pokémon in its roster. That means no Bulbasaur, no Charmander, no Chansey, no Eviolite builds. If it can still evolve, it’s not in the game. At least not yet.
What Did the Producer Actually Say?
The confirmation came from Masaaki Hoshino, the game’s producer and development director, during a media roundtable interview covered by Hypebeast. His words were clear: “At launch, only final evolutions will be available. This is another topic that Morimoto-san and I debated at length.”
He also left a small window open. After enough fully evolved forms are added to the game, the team might revisit the idea of including earlier evolution stages. But that’s not a promise, and it certainly won’t happen at launch.
Hoshino did say one thing that stuck: “We want to include as many Pokémon as possible in the game. That’s our goal.” Whether that includes NFEs (Not Fully Evolved) anytime soon is another question entirely.
Why This Decision Makes Sense (Sort Of)
Pokémon Champions is not just another mainline game. It’s designed to be the new home of competitive Pokémon, replacing Scarlet and Violet as the featured title for VGC (Video Game Championship) events.
With that goal in mind, the team wanted to make it as accessible as possible. For a brand-new player picking up the game on Switch or mobile, facing a team built around Chansey with an Eviolite is confusing. The mechanics behind non-fully evolved Pokémon staying viable through items like Eviolite take time to understand. And they can feel frustrating to go up against without knowing why.
By cutting NFEs at launch, the team creates a cleaner, more readable meta from day one. What you see is mostly what you get: final evolutions, each with clear roles and stats. Simpler to learn, easier to watch as a spectator.
What’s Actually Lost Here
For veteran players, this is where things get painful.
The Eviolite has been a competitive staple for years. Pokémon like Porygon2, Chansey, Clefairy, Dusclops, and Electabuzz have all carved out real niches in competitive play specifically because of that item. Strip it away and you remove an entire category of defensive, utility-focused team building.
This will directly affect how the VGC meta shapes up from the start. The competitive circuit is moving to Champions as soon as it launches, which means these decisions matter right now. Not in some theoretical future patch.
The removal of NFEs also eliminates the Eviolite as a meaningful item altogether. That’s not a small cut. It’s a mechanical layer gone from competitive play, at least for now.
The Pikachu Exception
Here’s the part nobody expected: Pikachu is in the game.
Pikachu can evolve into Raichu. By the stated rules, that should disqualify it. Yet it’s literally in the official artwork for the game, and multiple sources have confirmed it will be playable at launch.
The likely explanation is mascot status. Pikachu doesn’t evolve in the anime, it’s the face of the franchise, and leaving it out would be a PR disaster. So the rule has at least one official exception before the game even ships.
CBR also pointed out that Pokémon with no evolutionary line at all, like Kangaskhan, are not affected by this restriction. Single-stage Pokémon without evolutions are fine. Mega Kangaskhan is actually highlighted as one of the stronger options in the game.
Mega Evolutions Are In. That’s It.
Hoshino confirmed that Mega Evolution will be the only special battle mechanic available at launch. No Dynamax, no Z-Moves, no Terastallization for now.
That said, he mentioned the team is preparing to bring back past battle mechanics over time. Given that Dynamax has special forms for unevolved Pokémon like Pikachu and Eevee, how that gets handled alongside the NFE restriction will be interesting to watch.
The game also ties into Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s new Mega Evolutions, including Mega Eternal Floette and Mega Dragonite, which will be part of the launch roster.
Mobile Players Will Have to Wait
One more thing worth knowing: Pokémon Champions launches on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on April 8, but the iOS and Android versions are coming later in 2026.
Cross-platform play is confirmed, so the communities will eventually unite. But the early competitive meta will be shaped entirely by Switch players, which means the mobile crowd will be playing catch-up on patches and balance decisions made without them.
I’m passionate about books and video games. These two great passions represent, for me, a boundless universe where I can “escape” from reality whenever I need or want to. There are so many stories, worlds, and landscapes where I can instantly teleport that I don’t think a whole lifetime would be enough to explore them all (though it would be my greatest dream to be able to).
