Nintendo Switch players will soon get their hands on Pokémon Champions, a new turn-based RPG that focuses heavily on competitive battles involving the iconic pocket monsters. While the game maintains a largely classic structure, it introduces several notable modifications, including the removal of a specific statistic that has been a fundamental part of the main Pokémon video games for many years.
We are referring to **Individual Values, or IVs**. Let’s explore what these entail.
What Changes in Pokémon Champions Regarding Statistics?
For those unfamiliar, IVs are hidden stat modifiers that each Pokémon randomly acquires upon capture. They directly influence core values such as Attack, Defense, Speed, and others, as the creature levels up and evolves. This system was designed to ensure each Pokémon felt unique and to encourage competitive players to seek out specific specimens with optimal IVs for battle.
Pokémon Champions eliminates this random element from its gameplay, though the exact reasons haven’t been fully detailed. Development director and producer Masaaki Hoshino explained that the decision was not made lightly and followed an ‘intense discussion’ with Shigeki Morimoto, one of the original Pokémon designers. The primary objective is to ‘lower the barrier to entry for new players.’
Furthermore, the video game will also simplify another key statistic: Effort Values (EVs). Traditionally, EVs provide bonuses to specific stats based on the types of Pokémon battled. In Pokémon Champions, however, EVs will be re-purposed, allowing players to strategically boost any desired stat according to their preferences. Each Pokémon will have 66 EV points available for distribution. If a Pokémon is transferred to Champions from Pokémon HOME, its original EV distribution will be restored upon its return, as Champions’ EV system is unique and not compatible with other titles.