Pokemon Sword And Shield Will Have A Championship Tournament Instead Of An Elite Four

Earlier this month, we learned that Pokemon Sword & Shield would be the first in the series to include an auto-save feature. However, that it seems that isn’t the only “series first” that the games will be introduce to the franchise.

One big change to the Pokemon formula that hasn’t been receiving much attention is Pokemon Sword & Shield‘s Champion Cup Tournament. This feature was originally revealed back in July, through an update on the official Pokemon Sword & Shield Website. Rather than an Elite Four, it seems players will have to fight in an anime-Style Pokemon Tournament in order to gain the right to challenge the champion.

Given that Pokemon fans have been yearning for an anime-style “Pokemon League” Tournament for quite some time, one would think this feature would be a hot topic of discussion. However, it seems that this little tidbit has been largely overshadowed by the reveal of Gigantamax and other new features.

This will be the second time Gamefreak is attempting to change up the Pokemon formula, following Pokemon Sun & Moon’s replacement of Gyms Battles with Island Trials. While not a huge departure from the status quo, Island Trials were very well received as a fresh new take on Pokemon’s standard storyline.

Will Pokemon Sword & Shield‘s Champion Cup fare similarly? We can only wait and see.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.