Pokken Tournament Crowns Its Final World Champion As The Game Goes Temporarily Free-To-Play

thegamer.com:

The Pokemon World Championship has crowned its first official winner this weekend. The Pokken Tournament Championship Series kicked off Friday morning and concluded early in the evening with Shadowcat besting the 15 top players in the world and emerging victorious as the 2022 Pokken Tournament DX World Champion. This marks the end of the Pokemon Company's official support for competitive Pokken Tournament, which will not be featured at next year's World Championship.

Shadowcat did not qualify for the Pokken Tournament Master 16 prior to the event, but earned his spot during the Last Chance Qualifier held on Thursday. With a team comprised of Braixen, Darkrai, and Sceptile, Shadowcat swept the LCQ and dominated all the way through the Masters Top 16. Mewtater, Shadowcat's opponent in the Grand Finals, managed to force a bracket reset. The final series went the distance, with Shadowcat coming out ahead three-to-two against Mewtater, taking home the $6000 grand prize.

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This is the final year for Pokken Tournament DX at the Pokemon World Championship. The Switch fighting game has been part of every Worlds since it was released in 2015. Despite rumors, there has been no official confirmation that a Pokken sequel is in development. Pokemon celebrated the legacy of Pokken Tournament DX with a touching video that highlights the community and some of the biggest moments throughout the game's history.

To celebrate the impact it has had on the Pokemon community, a free trial of Pokken Tournament DX is available for all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers for one week. The free-to-play trial started Friday, August 18, and runs until the 24th.