Multiple Pokemon fans are finding that Pokemon Champions isn’t up to snuff for the competitive scene, saying that it lacks several Pokemon and items that were even advertised in pre-release trailers.
Currently, Pokemon Champions only supports 186 Pokemon, only featuring fully evolved forms (with some exceptions like Pikachu). One X post spotted by Kotaku points out that a Mega Evolution for Raichu seen in the game’s Pokemon Day trailer isn’t present in Champions, and another post highlights items seen in the overview trailer that aren’t in the game at launch.
>in the pokemon day trailer from a month ago
>isnt even in the fucking game
what did they mean by this pic.twitter.com/ssdJ3Rn6YE— Lewtwo (@Lewchube) April 8, 2026
To be somewhat fair to The Pokemon Company, most of the game’s trailers have disclaimers saying that footage might include Pokemon “unavailable at the time of the Nintendo Switch version’s release,” implying that other missing Pokemon and Mega Evolution forms like Mega Raichu X could be added at a later time or when the mobile version of the game releases.
It’s always disappointing when a game doesn’t live up to expectations, especially for competitive players. It’s important for developers to listen to community feedback to improve the experience. Hopefully, they can address these concerns and enhance the game in future updates.