Pokemon Champions Removing One Feature Is a Necessary Evil

Pokemon might have begun as a more casual gaming and trading card experience geared toward young people, but it didn't take long for it to enter the competitive scene, where hardcore enthusiasts could find something worth investing their time, energy, and brainpower in for a frequently satisfying payout. However, because of that evolution, there has long been a tension between the casual scene it once was and the competitive phenomenon it has become in both its tabletop and virtual arenas. Now, Pokemon Champions seems bent on bridging that gap a bit with more accessible mechanics than any competitive-oriented Pokemon game before it.

One of the biggest ways Pokemon Champions is making competitive Pokemon more accessible is by ditching IV (Individual Values) entirely. What's most telling about this decision and its intentions is that some casual Pokemon players may not even know what IVs are, but that's precisely why Pokemon Champions' decision to remove them is such a big deal. To more hardcore players who understand the ins and outs of Pokemon, the spin-off's choice to remove IVs from the picture might seem like a betrayal of tradition, but it's necessary for what it wants to do, as it sets the stage for a more transparent, skill-based battle environment.

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By Ediz Guner

Pokemon Champions Cuts the Fat by Ditching IVs Entirely

IVs Have Always Been a Gatekeeping Mechanic

IVs are hidden stats that contribute to a Pokemon's overall power and have therefore long been a staple of competitive Pokemon. These values range from 0 to 31, with 31 being the best, and influence how high each stat can potentially be. However, they are also set when a Pokemon is obtained by the player and cannot be changed through normal gameplay, except through specific items like Bottle Caps in some Pokemon games. As a result of them being very influential and yet so opaque, the casual Pokemon audience has not been able to benefit from the system as much as the more educated hardcore audience.

In other words, Pokemon's IVs created and have maintained until now a massive barrier to entry for newcomers and casual fans. It has never been uncommon for players to spend more time preparing their teams than actually battling with them as they grind for hours in an attempt to get their IV values where they want them. In that context, Pokemon Champions' decision to remove IVs entirely isn't just a simplification of a complicated system of mechanics but a long-overdue correction that finally prioritizes gameplay over behind-the-scenes stat micromanagement.

Stripping IVs Shifts the Focus to Smarter Training

That being said, one concern with the removal of IVs is that it could reduce not just the depth but also the fulfillment of the team-building process. However, Pokemon Champions seems to be doing its best to compensate for that in other areas. For example, Pokemon Champions' new training system keeps nature selection, move customization, and EV distribution intact, allowing players room to formulate personal strategies without worrying about the luck of the draw.

Pokemon Champions' decision to remove IVs entirely isn't just a simplification of a complicated system of mechanics but a long-overdue correction that finally prioritizes gameplay over behind-the-scenes stat micromanagement.

This approach may not please everyone, but it's clearly not out to do so anyway. Instead, it simply wants to introduce a more transparent version of competitive Pokemon by letting players have unprecedented control over their teams. Pokemon Champions is still complex, even on the surface, but it theoretically should finally see more casual players enter the competitive scene now that IVs and those invisible stat ceilings have been removed from the picture.

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