Pokémon Champions is facing criticism for its visual presentation and performance, especially after gameplay footage showed the game running at 30FPS on both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch with limited visible graphical differences.
Technical Director Addresses Concerns
Masaaki Hoshino, a technical director at The Pokémon Company, has addressed the concerns, stating that the development team is aware of the feedback and has attempted to balance graphics and gameplay while dealing with technical limitations. During an interview with Eurogamer Germany, Hoshino explained why the game's visuals may not meet some fan expectations.
“Yes, as a Pokémon fan, I naturally understand the various discussions currently taking place within the fan community... I can totally relate to all of it. Regarding the graphics and gameplay, we've truly tried to do our best in both areas,” Hoshino said.
Comparison with Pokkén Tournament
Hoshino, who has worked on several major Pokémon titles including Pokémon Yellow, Pokkén Tournament, Pokémon Unite, and now Pokémon Champions, compared the game's development challenges with his previous experience on Pokkén Tournament. “I have experience from working on Pokkén Tournament, and one of my goals for that game was actually to make the Pokémon game with the best graphics at the time. And I think we did a good job with that back then. But only two Pokémon were ever visible on screen at the same time. With Pokémon Champions, we have more limitations,” he noted.
According to Hoshino, the larger number of on-screen elements in Pokémon Champions has created additional development constraints compared to earlier games. The criticism increased after players noticed that the Nintendo Switch 2 version looked similar to the original Switch release despite newer hardware. Fans also pointed out that the game remains locked at 30FPS.
Defending the Team's Work
While Hoshino did not reveal any plans for graphical improvements, he defended the team's work by highlighting upgrades already made to the game. He said all Pokémon now have “their own shadows” and improved “battle effects.” However, The Pokémon Company has not confirmed whether future updates will improve the game's visuals.
