Amid the Pokemon Day festivities and official reveal of Pokemon Winds and Waves as the franchise’s 10th generation of games, Pokemon Champions quietly became the game to watch for fans in 2026. With Winds and Waves confirming a 2027 launch window, Pokemon Champions is suddenly the series’ major 2026 release, and it’s going to have massive implications for the competitive battling scene going forward. Pokemon Champions will be the go-to game for official VGC competition and the Pokemon World Championships, but it’s also shaping up to be a great way for casual fans to get a taste of competitive battling with an array of features aimed at all types of players.
Pokemon Champions has been confirmed for an April 2026 release on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 consoles, but a specific release date has not been shared yet. Additionally, Pokemon Champions will launch on mobile devices later this year and will be a free-to-start title on both platforms. All versions of the game will include the same features and will include crossplay so that mobile players and Nintendo Switch players can connect and battle one another in-game.
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Battle Features Confirmed for Pokemon Champions at Launch
3 Battle Modes with 2 Different Formats
- Ranked Battles
- Casual Battles
- Private Battles
As a battle simulation game, Pokemon Champions is primarily focused on delivering players a robust set of battle options for its PvP gameplay. For competitive Pokemon fans, Ranked Battles will be the mode they want to focus on, since it allows them to climb the ladder and put their skills to the test against other players of a similar level. Less competitively inclined players or players who want to practice before trying out Ranked Battles will want to dive into Casual Battles for an unranked experience that lets players battle without worrying about wins or losses affecting their standing. Pokemon Champions will also include a Private Battle Mode for players wanting to customize the rules for playing against friends.
- Single Battles
- Double Battles
Within each Battle Mode in Pokemon Champions, there are options for Single or Double Battle formats. Single Battles are the standard format that casual Pokemon players are likely already familiar with from playing the mainline series, where battles are 1v1 and players can typically use 3 total party members in a battle. Double Battles are the official Pokemon VGC format and feature 2v2 battles with players bringing teams of 4 Pokemon into battle.
Seasons and Changing Regulations
Competitive Pokemon players might already be familiar with Scarlet and Violet‘s current seasonal and regulation format, and Pokemon Champions will feature a similar system. During the course of a season, a player’s Ranked Battles will impact their seasonal placement and final rewards once the season ends. There will also be changing regulations that affect which Pokemon will be allowed in battle across multiple seasons. For example, some seasons might limit the number of Legendary Pokemon a player can bring to a battle, while the regulations could change for another set of seasons to allow an unlimited number of Legendaries.
The Omni-Ring Allows for Mega Evolution, Other Features Coming Later
One of the most exciting parts of Pokemon Champions is the potential for all previous generational battle gimmicks to return under one roof. While Mega Evolution is the only mechanic confirmed to be available for Pokemon Champions players at launch, more mechanics have been teased to be compatible with Pokemon Champions‘ Omni-Ring in the future. Some of the new Megas from Pokemon Legends: Z-A will also receive Abilities for the first time, with Mega Delphox getting Levitate, Mega Chesnaught getting Bulletproof, and Mega Greninja getting Protean.
Earning VP is the Key to Success
Victory Points, or VP, are the in-game currency for Pokemon Champions that allows players to engage with a variety of different mechanics. VP can be earned from winning Ranked Battles, but can’t be directly purchased via microtransactions. Players will want to save up VP for use in things like recruiting new Pokemon to their team or increasing a specific stat on a Pokemon.
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How to Obtain Pokemon in Champions
Pokemon Home Connection
The first, and likely most popular, method for getting party members in Pokemon Champions is by transferring mons from Pokemon Home. Players who link their Pokemon Home account to Pokemon Champions will be able to send critters between the apps with some restrictions:
- Only Pokemon available in Pokemon Champions can be transferred from Pokemon Home.
- Pokemon obtained in Pokemon Champions can’t be sent to Pokemon Home.
- If Pokemon brought over as visitors know moves that cannot be used in Pokémon Champions, players will need to change those moves via training.
- Training undergone in Pokemon Champions won’t transfer back to Pokemon Home, but the same Pokemon will remember its training if transferred back to Pokemon Champions (unless it returns in a different form).
Recruiting Pokemon from the Roster Ranch
Pokemon Champions doesn’t allow players to catch critters directly, instead offering them the ability to recruit new team members by spending VP at the Roster Ranch. Here, players can select new recruits from a random crop of Pokemon that refreshes every 22 hours. There are also two types of recruitment: Trial and Permanent recruitment. Trial Pokemon are only available for a limited period, but can be recruited once per day without spending any VP. Permanent Pokemon recruits will always be available for the player’s team once they spend the VP to recruit them.
Pokemon Champions also offers alternative ways to recruit Pokemon, such as Quick Coupons and Teammate Tickets that can be earned through in-game missions, allowing players to recruit critters without spending VP.
New Characters Appearing in Pokemon Champions
- Tatora
- Caraway
- Kitt
- Cordy
- Kajima
There are a few new faces joining the franchise with the release of Pokemon Champions to greet players as they explore everything Pokemon Champions has to offer. When hopping into the game for the first time, players will meet Tatora, who acts as the receptionist for competitions. Caraway is the owner of the Battle Arena, and her father, Kajima, is the mayor of Frontier City. Kitt runs the Roster Ranch, so players will get to know her as they recruit new team members. Cordy is the final new character who will offer players battle strategy and tips as they improve their standing in Pokemon Champions.
- Released
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April, 2026
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
