Nintendo finally decided to have a free-to-play, download-only title to ease in newcomers and pros-alike. Acting as one game for anything competitive, Pokemon Champions acts as a gateway, bringing fierce battles into an accessible format!
Same Old Formula, Same Old Fun!
As a free-to-play title, this battle-focused game will have the familiar Pokemon battle mechanics:
- Typings
- The 18 core types will be present in Pokemon Champions, letting trainers diversify their teams, or even going mono-type!
- Abilities
- Each Pokemon will have their own abilities that trainers can strategize around. May it be having a rain team through the use of Pelipper’s “Drizzle” and pairing them with a Pokemon with “Swift Swim” to ensure a fast and destructive playstyle!
- Moves
- Each Pokemon will have access to 4 abilities, making each Pokemon different from one another. These moves can set an archetype within your team, like Indedee with a support moveset! These archetypes can differ from trainer to trainer, as trainers can opt to have, for example, a special attacker Indedee to catch foes off guard!
Pokemon Home Integration
With Pokemon Champions being the same game for competitive Pokemon, what will happen to trainer’s built teams and Pokemon from past gens? Pokemon Champions will have Pokemon Home Integration! Transferring from past games to Pokemon Champions will be easy, though having some restrictions.
New Mega Updates!
Speaking of transferring Pokemon, as the last Pokemon game introduced was Pokemon Z-A, megas are present in Champions! Many of the megas in Z-A has been given a new abilities paired with their new mega evolutions:
- Mega Meganium (Grass/Fairy)
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- Has a new unique ability called Mega Sol, which makes their moves to be regarded as under the sun! Moves like Solar Beam can instantly pop off turn one instead of two turns!
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- Mega Embor (Fire/Fighting)
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- Now has access to Mold Breaker, which ignores opponent’s abilities!
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- Mega Feraligatr
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- Has a new ability called Dragonize! Normal moves now become stab dragon-type moves, making Mega Feraligatr a force to be reckoned with.
For the other new mega evolution, we have to wait on release to see their new abilities!
Optional In-Game Purchases
Pokemon Champion offers optional in-game purchases on launch! Trainers can buy the starter pack for ₱420, which includes:
- Storage space for 50 additional Pokemon.
- 30 Teammate Tickets.
- 50 Training Tickets.
The game also features a Battle Pass with plenty of rewards, but getting the premium Battle Pass unlocks more! The premium Battle Pass offers exclusive clothing and Mega stones, which are also available from the Shop!
Pokemon Champions launches on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 on April 8, 2026, with the Mobile version releasing Summer of 2026!
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