Pokémon Champions release date announced, alongside details on game features — VGC transitions to Pokémon Champions from Indianapolis Regionals in May

After more than a year since the game's first announcement on Pokémon Day 2025, The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo today confirmed that Pokémon Champions will be released for free download on the Nintendo Switch worldwide in just over two weeks, on Wednesday, April 8th.

Players on Nintendo Switch 2 systems will be able to download a free update on launch day which enabled enhanced visual performance.

Additionally, Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack bundle will be made available on the Nintendo eShop together with this release. This bundle, which can only be purchased once per Nintendo account, grants players space for an additional 50 Pokémon in-game, a selection of in-game currency including 30 Teammate Tickets and 50 Training Tickets, and the Battle! (Trainer Battle) song from Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! to play during battles. As of writing, the price of this Starter Pack bundle per region have not yet been announced.

Beginning with the Indianapolis Regional Championships on May 29th-31st, Play! Pokémon Competitions will be transitioning to having Pokémon Champions as the standard platform for all competitive matches for the Video Game Championships at all Play! Pokémon Premier Events. Ahead of this transition, Pokémon Champions may also be used for friendly in-store events, and during side events at various Regional Championships during April and May. Global Challenge I, which will run from May 1st-4th, will also be held on Pokémon Champions. Please note that none of these events will award Championship Points.

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Pokémon Champions will feature full connectivity with Pokémon HOME, allowing players to transfer and battle with Pokémon caught in Pokémon main series titles up to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, as well as the Pokémon Legends games and Pokémon GO.

In addition, players will also be able to use the new Recruit feature in Pokémon Champions to temporarily recruit one Pokémon each day. with the specific list of Pokémon available to recruit from changing daily for each player. Players will only be able to use these temporarily recruited Pokémon in Pokemon Champions for a period of 7 days each, however by spending Victory Points earned through taking part in battles. players will be able to permanently add these Pokémon to their teams. VP can also be used to change a Pokémon's moves, nature, ability, and stats, to purchase held items such as berries and Mega Stones, or to purchase in-game cosmetics including clothes, Poké Ball throwing styles, and battle background music.

Also revealed today was information on the abilities of several new Mega Evolutions introduced in Pokémon Legends Z-A, that will be usable in Pokémon Champions for the first time:

• Mega Meganium will debut a new ability named Mega Sol. This ability will allow Mega Meganium to always use its moves as if the weather were harsh sunlight.
• Mega Emboar will receive the ability Mold Breaker.
• Mega Feraligatr debuts a second new ability, Dragonize. This ability will convert Mega Feraligatr's Normal‑type moves into Dragon‑type moves, as well as and boosting their power by 20%.