Pokémon Champions to launch in 2026 as the new VGC platform

The Pokémon Company has announced a release window for Pokémon Champions during the 30th Anniversary Pokémon Presents livestream.

The new battle-focused game will be available on Nintendo Switch in April 2026, with the mobile launch planned for later this year.

Initially revealed during Pokémon Presents 2025, Pokémon Champions will be full of competitive elements and will let players recruit Pokemon in order to battle against other trainers.

It will be a cross-platform title and will serve as the VGC software for all Pokémon World Championships and for Championship Series events, including Worlds starting this year. 

That said, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may still be used in certain regions for Championship Series tournaments.

Pokémon Champions can be regarded as a modern version of older titles such as Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Battle Revolution.

Players will be able to import some of their Pokémon using Pokémon HOME and the rest can be recruited from within the game. Moreover, those who download the game before a specified date will receive Dragonite for free via the in-game mailbox.

Confirmed Pokémon Champions Features

One of the main highlights of the game is the Trial Recruitment feature for Pokémon, which can be used without spending Victory Points. 

Players will be able to use the option once a day, and after they find a Pokemon they like, it can be recruited permanently using VP.

Moreover, it is possible to alter a Pokémon’s abilities and stats with the help of the training feature, allowing players to customize their teams according to their playstyle.

Pokémon Champions will feature three modes including Ranked, Casual, and Private Battles. In addition to this, players can either play solo or celebrate victories with their duo.

The game will also have a wearable device called the Omni Ring, which can help with Mega Evolution of Pokémon in Ranked Battles.

Thanks to Pokémon Champions’ compatibility with Pokémon HOME, trainers will be able to start training their Pokémon quickly.

This will save them a lot of grinding, which is often one of the most frustrating aspects of playing different Pokémon games.

The cross-platform integration and cross-generational mechanics make the platform a lot more exciting, as it provides players with more strategic options.

That said, this could also result in battles being more complicated, especially if the developers don’t handle the balancing well. However, if executed well, it could be exactly what Pokémon esports have been waiting for.