A developer behind Pokémon Champions has finally responded to fans’ criticism regarding the game’s visuals.
In a recent interview with Eurogamer Germany, producer Masaaki Hoshino addressed the backlash directly, noting that the development team was aware of the criticism. “As a Pokémon fan, I naturally understand the various discussions,” Hoshino said, before adding that the team has “truly tried to do our best in both areas” when it comes to graphics and gameplay.
Pokémon’s recent games haven’t been the best in terms of visual fidelity, and Pokémon Champions is no exception. It has faced a lot of criticism for its visual presentation. Sure, Pokémon Champions focuses on competitive battling, but according to many fans, the graphics are just too simplistic and overall boring.
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Dev Explains Limitations And Priorities
Hoshino explained that part of the challenge comes down to the nature of the game itself. Unlike Pokkén Tournament (which he worked on), where only a small number of characters appear on screen, Pokémon Champions has to handle more complex scenarios. “With Pokémon Champions, we have more limitations,” he said.
Instead of focusing on better visuals, the team prioritized the gameplay system and competitive balance. Hoshino emphasized that ensuring the core battle system is polished, balanced, and consistent was the main goal. After all, their goal with Pokémon Champions was to make a long-term platform for competitive Pokémon battles. This also aligns with Nintendo’s broader goal to bring the game to iOS and Android.
That said, the developer did highlight some areas where the team aimed to improve visual quality. According to Hoshino, features like individual shadows for each Pokémon and newly developed battle effects were deliberate enhancements to make the game look better.
Despite the criticism of visuals, the game is an important step for the series. Instead of hosting VGC battles on the latest games, they wanted to make a game specifically for competitive Pokémon. It’s a competitive title, which is why they prioritized gameplay over visuals.
In short, Hoshino’s response suggests that the team is aware of the player criticism regarding visuals, but gameplay is where all their attention is right now.
Published: Apr 27, 2026 11:30 am