| Pokémon Champions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Pokémon Champions brings a unified, standardized format for competitive Pokémon battling. Read on to learn about the game's latest news and developments!
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Pokémon Champions News
2026
April 27
⚫︎ Masaaki Hoshino, The Pokémon Company's (TPC) technical director, has acknowledged the fan scrutiny and criticism for the Pokémon games' graphics in recent years. Nonetheless, he also defended Pokémon Champion's battle effects that went through a "very thorough" review, as each were developed from scratch.
April 24
⚫︎ The 2026 Global Challenge Special Roster has been unveiled on Pokémon Champions, available from April 24 at 2:00 AM UTC to May 4 at 1:59 AM UTC. The 30-count lineup includes Pokémon across regional origins, genders, and forms, all within Regulation Set M-A.
April 23
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions is set to be featured on the Twitch Rivals esports tournament. Fans can catch their favorite streamers in the competitive Pokémon battling game on April 29, 2026, at 2:00 PM PDT / 5:00 PM EDT.
April 21
⚫︎ Only less than a month into the game's Switch release, and one of the most dominant Pokémon in the larger VGC meta has already conquered Pokémon Champions. Outlets such as Kotaku, TheGamer, Limitless TCG, and ChampionsMeta highlighted data showing Incineroar as the most-used Pokémon on the competitive platform, followed closely by Sneasler and Sinistcha.
April 10
⚫︎ Following a problematic April 8 release on the Nintendo Switch systems, developer The Pokémon Works apologized to the players and assured them that fixes are already underway. Bugs that were present at launch ranged across incorrect details that are inconsitent with previous games, as well as technical errors that affected gameplay. Fans are worried about the urgency of refining the game before it will be used at the World Championships in August.
April 9
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions launches with performance issues and missing features. Players were critical about the game's current state, with some even noting that it felt like a "fleshed out" beta rather than a full game.
March 25
⚫︎ Producer Masaaki Hoshino confirms that only fully-evolved Pokémon will be available for use in Pokémon Champions as of now to make the game more accessible to new players. They intend to add pre-evolved Pokémon only after several final evolutions are introduced.
March 23
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions is set to release on April 8 for the Nintendo Switch system. VGC shifts to the upcoming game as a new standard platform, kicking off with live Indianapolis Regionals on May 29-30.
February 27
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions' release date was just revealed during Pokémon Day February 2026, set for April 2026 on Nintendo Switch, with its mobile version launching later this year. Players who download the game in advance will receive a Dragonite that appears in their in-game mailbox.
2025
August 19
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions will be featured at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships, replacing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as the official, standard format for the Video Game Championships (VGC). This was announced during the 2025 Pokémon World Championships in a short teaser featuring footage of the upcoming battles fans can expect in the game.
July 22
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions is set to release sometime in 2026 for Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. Several gameplay snippets were revealed, including the ability to invite former Pokémon partners or recruit new ones for combat.
February 27
⚫︎ Pokémon Champions was officially revealed, featuring cross-platform battles for mobile devices and Nintendo Switch. It will support Pokémon GO and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, allowing players to transfer their beloved partners from those games into Pokémon HOME.
