Pokémon Champions Overhauls Core Stats: IVs Removed, EVs Simplified for Accessibility

In April, Nintendo Switch players will get their hands on Pokémon Champions, a new turn-based RPG focused entirely on competitive battles with the beloved Japanese pocket monsters. While the game's structure remains quite classic, it introduces significant changes, one of which is the removal of a long-standing stat present in the main series games for many years.

We're talking about IVs (Individual Values). Let's explore what this entails.

What's Changing in Pokémon Champions Regarding Stats?

For those unfamiliar, IVs are stat modifiers that each Pokémon randomly obtains upon capture. They impact values like Attack, Defense, Speed, and so on, as the creature levels up and evolves. Traditionally, IVs make each Pokémon slightly unique and are crucial in competitive play for finding the version of a certain Pokémon with the best possible IVs.

Pokémon Champions eliminates this random element from the equation. While the exact reasoning wasn't fully detailed, development director and producer Masaaki Hoshino explained that the decision wasn't taken lightly and involved "intense discussion with [Shigeki] Morimoto," one of Pokémon's original designers. The primary goal is to "lower the barrier to entry for new players."

Furthermore, the game will simplify another stat: EVs (Effort Values). Normally, EVs determine stat bonuses based on the type of creatures battled. In Pokémon Champions, however, EVs can be used to boost any stat according to the player's preference. Each Pokémon will have 66 EVs available for allocation. If a Pokémon is transferred into Champions from Pokémon HOME, its EVs will revert to their original state upon return, as the Champions system is unique and not compatible with other titles.