Every feature has been confirmed for Pokemon champions so far

In the midst of the Pokemon Day festivities and official reveal of Pokemon winds and waves as the franchise's tenth generation game, Pokemon champion quiet became the game to watch for fans in 2026. With Winds and waves confirms a 2027 launch window, Pokemon champion is suddenly the series' big release in 2026, and that will have huge implications for the competitive fighting scene going forward. Pokemon champion will be the go-to game for official VGC competitions and the Pokémon World Cup, but it's also becoming a great way for casual fans to get a taste of competitive combat with a range of features aimed at all types of players.

Pokemon champion has been confirmed for an April 2026 release on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 consoles, but a specific release date has not yet been shared. In addition, Pokemon champion 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 feature the same features and will include crossplay so that mobile players and Nintendo Switch players can connect and battle each other 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 champion is primarily focused on providing players with a robust set of combat options for their PvP gameplay. Too competitive Pokémon fans, Ranked Battles will be the mode they want to focus on as it allows them to climb the ladder and put their skills to the test against other players of a similar level. Less competitive players or players looking to practice before trying 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 champion will also include a private battle mode for players who want to customize the rules to play against friends.

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Singles battles
Double battles

Within each Battle Mode i Pokemon championthere are options for Single or Double Battle formats. Single Battles is the default format which is casual Pokémon players are probably already familiar with from playing the mainline series, where battles are 1v1 and players can usually use 3 total party members in a battle. Double Battles is the official one Pokémon VGC format and features 2v2 battles with players bringing teams of 4 Pokémon into battle.

Seasons and changed rules

Competitive Pokémon players may already be familiar with Scarlet and Violets current season and regulation format, and Pokemon champion will have a similar system. Over the course of a season, a player's ranked battles will affect their season ranking and final rewards when the season ends. There will also be rule changes affecting which Pokemon will be allowed into battle for multiple seasons. For example, some seasons may limit the number of legendary Pokemon a player can bring into a battle, while the rules may be changed for another set of seasons to allow an unlimited number of legendaries.

The Omni ring allows Mega Evolution, other features will come later

One of the most exciting parts of Pokemon champion is the potential for all the fighting gimmicks of previous generations to return under one roof. While Mega Evolution is the only mechanic confirmed to be available for Pokemon champion players at launch, more mechanics have been teased to be compatible with Pokemon champion' Omni-Ring in the future. Some of the new Megas from Pokemon Legends: ZA will also gain Abilities for the first time, with Mega Delphox gaining Levitate, Mega Chesnaught gaining Bulletproof, and Mega Greninja gaining Protean.

Earning VP is the key to success

Victory Points, or VP, is the in-game currency for Pokemon champion which allows players to engage in a variety of mechanics. VP can be earned by winning ranked battles, but cannot be purchased directly via microtransactions. Players will want to save 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 get Pokemon in Champions

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Pokemon Home Connection

The first, and probably most popular, method of bringing in party members Pokemon champion is by transferring mons from Pokemon home. Players who link their Pokemon home account to Pokemon champion will be able to send critters between apps with some limitations:

Only Pokemon available in Pokemon champion can be transferred from Pokemon home.
Pokemon caught Pokemon champion cannot be sent to Pokemon home.
If the Pokémon comes over as a visitor, it knows moves that cannot be used in Pokemon championplayers will need to change these traits through training.
Education completed in Pokemon champion will not be transferred back to Pokemon homebut the same Pokemon will remember its training if transferred back to Pokemon champion (unless returned in a different form).

Recruits Pokemon from Roster Ranch

Pokemon champion does not allow players to capture animals directly, but instead offers them the ability to recruit new team members by spending VP at the Roster Ranch. Here, players can choose new recruits from a random crop of Pokemon updated every 22 hours. There are also two types of recruitment: Trial recruitment and Permanent recruitment. Test Pokemon are only available for a limited period, but can be recruited once per day without spending any VP. Permanent Pokémon recruits will always be available to the player's team when they spend VP to recruit them.

Pokemon champion also offers alternative ways to recruit Pokémon, such as instant coupons and teammate tickets that can be earned through in-game quests, allowing players to recruit animals without spending VP.

New characters appear in Pokemon Champions

Tattoo
Cumin
Putty
Cordy
Kajima

There are some new faces joining the franchise with the launch of the Pokemon champion to greet players as they explore everything Pokemon champion has to offer. When players jump into the game for the first time, they will encounter 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 that will offer players battle strategies and tips as they level up Pokemon champion.