Pokémon Champions continues the tradition of Trainers pitting their skills against those of others from around the world, with the aim of allowing core game-style battles to be enjoyed by more players than ever before.Get ready to experience everything you love about Pokémon battles all in one place—in Pokémon Champions.
Pokémon Champions is a battle-focused game will feature familiar mechanics such as Pokémon types, Abilities, and moves, creating an environment conducive to rich and varied strategies for new and experienced Trainers alike.
It’s not just familiar mechanics—you’ll be able to bring in classic Pokémon from Pokémon HOME, the cloud service for Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, allowing Trainers to team up with Pokémon brought over from previous Pokémon games in addition to those they partner with in Pokémon Champions.
Look forward to cross-platform battles alongside your favorite Pokémon on Nintendo Switch and mobile, with a variety of different modes available for your desired experience.
The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) announced that Pokémon Champions will launch on April 8, 2026, for Nintendo Switch.
Additionally, those who own a Nintendo Switch 2 console can look forward to enhanced visual performance for Pokémon Champions by downloading a free update available on April 8.
Players also have the option to purchase the Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack bundle for 50 more Pokémon in their storage box, the “Battle! (Trainer Battle)” song from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, 30 Teammate Tickets and 50 Training Tickets. Additionally, a Premium Battle Pass and Membership will also be available for purchase in the game.
Here are some additional details about the game:
- Pokémon Battles - Pokémon Champions focuses on competing online against Trainers from near and far in turn-based, one-on-one Single Battles or two-on-two Double Battles. Gather a team of six Pokémon to challenge your opponents and make use of strategies like swapping Pokémon mid-battle, powering them up with Mega Evolution, making use of type advantages and more to secure victory. Decisions you make on the fly could influence the tide of battle, so choose wisely.
- Recruit Pokémon – Recruit battle-ready Pokémon in two ways: Connect to the Pokémon HOME app where certain Pokémon you’ve obtained and transferred from the Pokémon RPG series and the Pokémon GO app will be available to join your team. Or, recruit one random Pokémon per day, which will be available to you for one week and only usable in Pokémon Champions. You can also use Victory Points (VP) to recruit multiple Pokémon in a single day. Plus, spend VP to recruit Pokémon permanently.
- Online Modes – Test your skills in Ranked Battles and aim for the top spot against similarly ranked Trainers. Experiment freely in Casual Battles, where wins and losses aren’t recorded. And in Private Battles, create a room and battle against anyone with the Room ID. There will also be in-game Online Competitions, which have preset rules that change every season.
- Victory Points (VP) –Earned VP can be spent in several ways. In addition to recruiting Pokémon, you can spend VP to train Pokémon and adjust their moves, abilities, stat points, Natures and more. Head to the in-game Shop and you can also exchange VP to purchase various things such as held items, Mega Stones, battle music, and even new looks and styles for your trainer – including clothing, Poké Ball throwing styles and more.
Pokémon Champions will also launch on mobile devices later this year.
TPCi also revealed that Pokémon Champions will be the primary platform for the Video Game Championships at all Play! Pokémon Premier Events beginning with the Indianapolis Regional Championships from May 29-31, 2026, ahead of its debut on the main stage at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in August.
More information can be found here.
1 This is a free-to-start game. A Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack bundle, as well as optional in-game items, will be available to purchase.
2 Nintendo Account and Internet access required for online features. For more information, go to support.nintendo.com.
Pokémon Champions is coming to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, 2026, followed by and mobile (Android/iOS) at a later time.
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