Pokemon Champions Launches April 8 for Switch - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 24 March 2026 / 2,485 Views
Publisher The Pokemon Company and developer The Pokemon Works announced Pokémon Champions will launch for the Nintendo Switch on April 8, and for iOS and Android later in 2026.
View the overview trailer below:
Read details on the game below:
Pokemon Champions is a free-to-start game focused on building a team of Pokemon and engaging in online battles against other players. These battles use familiar mechanics from previous Pokemon RPG series games such as Pokemon types, Abilities and moves, enabling the rich and varied battle strategies that Trainers may already be familiar with.
Players also have the option to purchase the Pokemon Champions + Starter Pack bundle for 50 more Pokemon in their storage box, the “Battle! (Trainer Battle)” song from Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: 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:
- Pokemon Battles – Pokemon 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 Pokemon to challenge your opponents and make use of strategies like swapping Pokemon 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 Pokemon – Recruit battle-ready Pokemon in two ways: Connect to the Pokemon HOME app where certain Pokemon you’ve obtained and transferred from the Pokemon RPG series and the Pokemon GO app will be available to join your team. Or, recruit one random Pokemon per day, which will be available to you for one week and only usable in Pokemon Champions. You can also use Victory Points (VP) to recruit multiple Pokemon in a single day. Plus, spend VP to recruit Pokemon 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 Pokemon, you can spend VP to train Pokemon 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, Poke Ball throwing styles and more.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
