Used Monsters Dominate First Tournament
Kotaku • • technology
Key Points:
- Pokémon Champions aims to introduce newcomers to the series' complex competitive scene, but early data shows familiar strategies and Pokémon still dominate online battles.
- Incineroar leads usage in double battles, appearing on over half of teams in the first tournament held on April 8, coinciding with the game's launch on Switch.
- The inaugural tournament featured over 500 players competing for a $500 prize pool, with the top ten most-used Pokémon including Sneasler, Garchomp, and Tyranitar alongside Incineroar.
- Incineroar's sustained dominance is attributed to its versatile support abilities like Intimidate, Fake Out, and Parting Shot, making it a staple in many team compositions despite being over a decade old.
- The game launched with several bugs, including issues transferring Pokémon from the Home storage app, but Incineroar remains a key competitive presence likely to persist in future tournaments.
