New details on Pokémon Champions, coming to Switch and mobile in 2026
A little while away.
Last night’s Pokémon Presents gave us a fresh look at Pokémon Champions, the battle-focused Pokémon game coming to Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, now confirmed for a 2026 release.
The trailer revealed that you’ll be able to bring in Pokémon from Pokémon Home or recruit them directly in the game. Both single and double battles will be available.
The game also features a training component that lets you adjust a Pokémon’s moves and stat alignments — also known as EV training. Folks have only been asking for that for years.
Pokémon Champions didn’t have a release date before, but with it out sometime in 2026 it’s still a little while away.
In Pokémon Champions, Trainers can recruit Pokémon to join their teams and battle other Trainers. Trial Recruitment allows Pokémon to join the player’s team for a limited time—letting them try out a Pokémon in battle straight away and test strategies. Permanent Recruitment uses Victory Points (VP)—which are gained from various methods such as Ranked Battles—to add Pokémon to the player’s team permanently. Players can also use VP to train Pokémon according to their own preferences, including altering their stats and Abilities.
There are three different battle modes available in Pokémon Champions, which can be played in both Single Battle and Double Battle formats.
- Ranked Battles: Players can test their skills against other Trainers from all over the world. Trainers are divided into tiers based on their skill level.
- Casual Battles: Trainers can test how their teams perform against Pokémon Trainers from around the world in a relaxed environment.
- Private Battles: Players can battle against friends or family in the same in-game room.
