The Pokemon Company doesn’t have the best recent reputation when it comes to the quality of its games. Pokemon Sword and Shield had their critics, but anger really swelled over the quality of Scarlet and Violet, with bugs and performance issues plaguing the game at launch. Even Pokemon Legends: Z-A wasn’t safe from critique, with textures on certain buildings drawing the ire of fans.
While Koei Tecmo-developed Pokemon Pokopia bucked the trend when it launched last month, it seems like we’re back to square one, with Pokemon’s new competitive title, Champions, coming under immediate fire for its frame rates and graphical style.
Pokemon Champions has been out for mere hours, and while there is still a lot of excitement for the game, much of the early conversations have been dominated by frustrated players.
On the original Nintendo Switch, players are reporting the game being locked at 30 frames per second, but they have suggested “it feels much worse,” and reports suggest the game is running at 720p. The Switch 2 version does improve the visuals, but still keeps the game locked at a measly 30 FPS. For comparison, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, a game which does a lot more than Champions, got a solid 60. Naturally, players aren’t happy.
“The frame rate, even on Switch 2, is so awful. It’s capped at 30 with clear frame pacing issues, and animations are stuttering for no reason. So far the game feels really janky from a technical perspective. Massive downgrade from SV and Z-A, which were locked 60 in battles on Switch 2,” said SPARKisnumber1 on Reddit. “So typical pokemon,” mused SirDanOfCamelot in response.
The frame rate, even on Switch 2, is so awful.
These conversations span multiple subreddits, and complaints have also surfaced on other social platforms like Twitter.
It’s not all bad news, though. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet eventually received a massive glow-up on the Nintendo Switch 2, and with Champions planned to be supported “basically forever”, there’s a huge chance for things to be turned around. It’s just not ideal for players excited to jump in at launch.
- Released
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April 8, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone / Mild Fantasy Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
