The next Pokémon video game is almost here, with the competitive multiplayer game Pokémon Champions set to be released this week, much to the excitement of competitive Pokémon players.
Pokémon Champions will see players building teams of Pokémon to compete against each other, and is expected to significantly lower the barrier to entry in competitive Pokémon by allowing anyone with a Nintendo Switch, or later in the year anyone with a mobile device, to compete without paying a cent.
You can see all the details for the release of Pokémon Champions below.
What is Pokémon Champions?
Pokémon Champions is an online multiplayer game that focuses solely on competitive play. The game uses the turn-based combat system featured in most main series Pokémon games, and will have an evolving pool of Pokémon, battle mechanics, and more.
Players will be able to recruit Pokémon in-game, or transfer their own Pokémon from the Pokémon Home service, then train those Pokémon, adjusting stats, moves, and abilities to their liking. They will then be able to compete in ranked, casual, or private matches against other players.
Pokémon Champions will be the home of competitive Pokémon for the foreseeable future, and will be used as the game for the Pokémon VGC competition at the Pokémon World Championships in late August.
Pokémon Champions Release Date and Platforms
Pokémon Champions will be released on the Nintendo Switch on the evening of April 7, 2026, in the US, and on April 8 in the rest of the world. A mobile version of the game will also be released on iOS and Android at a later date.
Pokémon Champions Release Time
Pokémon Champions will be released at approximately 11:00 pm EDT/8:00 pm PDT on April 7 in the US.
The game will have a simultaneous global release rather than a rolling midnight release like many new games, and North America is the only major region to get the game on April 7 — the rest of the world will see it released in the morning or early afternoon of April 8.
Here’s the Pokémon Champions release times in each major time zone:
- PDT – 8:00 pm (April 7)
- EDT – 11:00 pm
- BRT – 12:00 am (April 8)
- BST – 4:00 am
- CEST – 5:00 am
- IST – 8:30 am
- JST – 12:00 pm
- AEST – 1:00 pm
- NZST – 3:00 pm
How Much Does Pokémon Champions Cost?
Pokémon Champions is completely free-to-start. This means that players will not have to pay any money to download and play the game, but there will be in-game purchases using real money.
Real money purchases for Pokémon Champions include seasonal battle passes, a monthly Pokémon Champions membership subscription, and a “starter pack”. Importantly, none of the real money purchases can be used to give an innate competitive advantage — many of the items are cosmetic in nature, and anything that could have an impact on actual competition can be earned in-game without spending money.
Do You Need Nintendo Switch Online to Play Pokémon Champions?
No, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is not needed to play Pokémon Champions. On the Nintendo Switch, as with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, free-to-play and free-to-start games are exempt from the requirement to have a subscription to play online.
Read the full article here
