Game-breaking Pokémon Champions Bug Makes Incineroar Even Scarier
A game-breaking bug has been discovered in competitive Pokémon that allows Incineroar to switch back into itself repeatedly, exploiting the game’s switching mechanic. The Alolan starter, already dominant in VGC (Video Game Championships) double battles due to utility moves like Parting Shot, can now trigger this glitch when positioned first in a player’s party. The exploit activates when a switching move is used and the game times out during the opponent’s selection phase, causing the game to automatically re-enter Incineroar instead of allowing a proper switch. This unintended loop grants Incineroar unfair competitive advantages by allowing it to maintain field position while applying status effects and disrupting opponent strategies.
Incineroar’s prevalence in competitive Pokémon was already well-established before this discovery, but the glitch dramatically amplifies its advantages in ways developers never intended. Early reports suggest the bug may also affect other Pokémon with similar switching moves, potentially impacting broader competitive balance. The discovery has raised immediate concerns within the competitive community about tournament integrity and fairness in ranked double battles, with players and organizers questioning how this will affect ongoing competitions and whether events will be postponed pending a fix.