The Pokémon Company and The Pokémon Works announced new battle-focused game Pokémon Champions is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 alongside the previously announced Nintendo Switch, Android (Google Play), and iOS (App Store) versions in 2026. The game will also participate in the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco.
The press release reads, “Pokémon Champions is a free-to-start game coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices in 2026. More details on a paid digital version of Pokémon Champions on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch systems will be shared in the future.”
Pokémon Champions features cross-platform play, and players can bring classic Pokémon from the Pokémon HOME application for battles. The game will also feature Ranked Battles with Mega-Evolved Pokémon, including Mega Dragonite from Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Here’s a description, via the Nintendo eShop:
Bringing Pokémon Battles to Everyone!
Battle with Pokémon against other players in the Pokémon Champions game! These battles use familiar mechanics from previous Pokémon series games such as Pokémon types, abilities, and moves, enabling the rich and varied battle strategies you may already know and love.
Compete in Ranked Battles against players from all over the world*, or try Casual Battles for some easygoing fun. You can also have Private Battles with just your friends and family.
Pokémon Champions will be compatible with Pokémon HOME, the cloud service for the Nintendo Switch system and mobile devices. That means, in addition to the Pokémon partners available in Pokémon Champions, you can also team up with certain Pokémon brought over from past Pokémon series games and Pokémon GO.
Lastly, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will launch on October 16 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Nintendo Switch version costs $59.99, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition costs $69.99, and the upgrade pack costs $9.99.
