Pokémon Champions launches for Switch April 8th, 2026, and it’ll arrive alongside a free Switch 2 update for enhanced visual performance. That means you can enjoy the game no matter what Switch system you have, and it seems like you should plan to spend years to come enjoying the title.
Pokémon Champions is going to be the place for major Pokémon battles on the official tournament scene, and it’s bringing with it a pretty notable change. This latest title in the Pokémon series is removing IVs, which are hidden modifiers that decide a Pokémon’s stats as they level up. This big shift didn’t come about easy according to producer Masaaki Hoshino, as there was quite the debate concerning the new approach.
(The feature’s removal took a) heated discussion with [Shigeki] Morimoto (an original battle designer). From the very beginning, we didn’t want to go and change that core battle system. We thought that was very important, especially to the current players who enjoy the battle system. So we wanted to keep the same core battle system.
(Not everyone) really got into the PvP part – playing against other players – and with this product, our hope is to expand that accessibility, to make it something that anyone can jump in and enjoy. Up until now, in order to participate in those battles at a high level, you needed to do a lot of work, for example, all this different training that takes quite a bit of time, and that can feel like a bit of a hurdle for certain players.”
[Producer Masaaki Hoshino]
Pokémon Champions is a free-to-start game focused on building a team of Pokémon and engaging in online battles against other players. These battles use familiar mechanics from previous Pokémon RPG series games such as Pokémon 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 Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack bundle for 50 more Pokémon in their storage box, the “Battle! (Trainer Battle)” song from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: 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:
Pokémon Battles – Pokémon 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 Pokémon to challenge your opponents and make use of strategies like swapping Pokémon 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 Pokémon – Recruit battle-ready Pokémon in two ways: Connect to the Pokémon HOME app where certain Pokémon you’ve obtained and transferred from the Pokémon RPG series and the Pokémon GO app will be available to join your team. Or, recruit one random Pokémon per day, which will be available to you for one week and only usable in Pokémon Champions. You can also use Victory Points (VP) to recruit multiple Pokémon in a single day. Plus, spend VP to recruit Pokémon 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 Pokémon, you can spend VP to train Pokémon 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, Poké Ball throwing styles and more.