Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have announced that Pokémon Champions is coming to Switch on 8th April 2026. The iOS and Android release will follow later in the year.

While the game won't be getting a Switch 2 version, we will be getting a free update which will boost the visuals on the newer console (separate from that shiny Boost Mode).

If you download the game before a certain date, you'll get a free Dragonite, and eventually, a Dragonite Mega Stone if you keep playing. TPC also announced a Starter Pack version of the game, which allows you to pay for increased your box space and extra in-game tickets.

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Pokémon Champions
Image: Nintendo

Over on the Nintendo Today! App and on YouTube, you can also ways a brand new 6-minute Overview Trailer, which goes over many of the game's key features.

Single and Double Battles will be available in-game, with three online battle modes to pick from: Ranked, Casual, and Private, meaning you can either play competitively with strangers, casually, or simply play with people you know.

Mega Evolutions are back, and some Megas — with Feraligatr, Meganium, and Emboar highlighted here — will be getting new unique abilities.

Champions will be Pokémon HOME compatible from day one, where you can transfer your favourites into the game from Switch and Switch 2 titles such as Scarlet & Violet and Legends: Z-A (as long as the 'mon are compatible with the game). Crucially, in terms of Legends: Z-A, you'll actually get a free Mega Stone for Chesnaught, Delphox, Greninja, and/or Eternal Flower Floette if you transfer them into Champions.

Pokémon Champions
Image: Nintendo

Other ways to get Pokémon in-game are by recruiting them once a day — once you have them, they'll only stick around for about a week before leaving your team, known as a Trial Period.

There's also a in-game currency that you'll want to use if you want to permanently recruit new team members, amend Pokémon's moves and stats, and purchase costumes and music in-game.

Soo, yeah, free-to-start, remember? Definitely not one for the casual battler unless you're happy to play with the systems and just mess with random 'mons every week.

Let us know if you're looking forward to Champions in the comments.