Nintendo's Pokémon Champions finally has a release date, a new trailer, and mobile release and crossplay details.
On Tuesday, March 24, Nintendo took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the release date for its upcoming free-to-play competitive battler, Pokémon Champions, along with other details about the game.
Pokémon Champions arrives on Switch and Switch 2 on Wednesday, April 8, with the mobile version and a full crossplay feature along the way.
#PokemonChampions arrives for Nintendo Switch on April 8!
— Pokemon Champions (@Pokemon_Champs) March 24, 2026
Prepare to experience everything you love about Pokemon battles by gathering Pokemon friends, crafting the perfect battle team, and taking on the competition.
Learn morehttps://t.co/ETbWCzFEuC pic.twitter.com/PgF1vJgUr6
To get some early support, Nintendo is also launching a Starter Pack bundle on the same day, which includes the base game and in-game benefits such as added Pokémon storage space, an extra battle song, and more.
While the game is built with the previous-generation Nintendo Switch in mind, the Switch 2 version comes with a free update that improves visual fidelity and a few other aspects for a better experience.
Now, for players who are hearing about Pokémon Champions for the first time, it is a multiplatform game where you engage in Pokémon battles similar to what we have in the previous games, utilizing familiar mechanics like Pokémon types, abilities, and moves, etc, to get a win over your opponent.
That said, for long-time Pokémon players, you will also be able to bring some of your Pokémon from past games into Pokémon Champions by linking your Pokémon HOME account.
Global Challenge I 2026 is coming to #PokemonChampions!
— Pokemon Champions (@Pokemon_Champs) March 13, 2026
Build your team and compete in the Global Challenge! Stay tuned for details when Pokemon Champions comes to Nintendo Switch in April 2026!
Championship Points will not be offered for this competition. pic.twitter.com/6pl5qAJFmp
As a competitive title, the game already has a plethora of tournaments, both regional and global, planned for this year, with the most recent being the Indianapolis Pokémon Regional Championships 2026.