Masaaki Hoshino, the director of Pokémon Champions, has expressed a strong commitment to retaining the turn-based battle mechanic in the franchise. He stated that he loves Pokémon battles and envisions keeping this classic system forever, despite recent shifts in gameplay seen in titles like Pokémon Legends: Arceus and the upcoming Legends Z-A, which have experimented with more open-world and real-time elements.
As reported, the upcoming tenth generation, Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, is set to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 next year and is expected to uphold the traditional turn-based mechanics, while the Legends series will continue to explore alternative approaches.
Hoshino reassures fans that as long as Pokémon Champions exists, turn-based battles will remain a core aspect of the franchise. While future titles may feature new mechanics, the classic system will not be permanently removed.
For further updates, you can check out the Pokémon Champions overview trailer or engage with the community through their Discord server.
