{"id":364294,"date":"2026-04-05T02:23:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T02:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/364294\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T02:23:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T02:23:17","slug":"pokemon-champions-brings-battles-to-nintendo-switch-1-mobile-devices-later-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/364294\/","title":{"rendered":"Pokemon Champions Brings Battles To Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 on April 8th; Mobile Devices Later This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/p>\n

The Pok\u00e9mon Company has announced that spin-off battler Pok\u00e9mon Champions<\/a> will launch on April 8th for Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, with confirmation that it will release on mobile devices later this year. <\/p>\n

The announcement was accompanied by a lengthy overview trailer showcasing how and where players could obtain Pok\u00e9mon for the game, different battle formats, and more! Check it out below! <\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Champions \u2013 Overview Trailer\u00a0<\/p>\n

As seen above, players will be able to utilise the Pok\u00e9mon Home<\/a> app to transfer and use battle-ready Pok\u00e9mon from both mainline and spin-off games, such as Pok\u00e9mon Scarlet & Violet<\/a>, Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Arceus<\/a>, and Pok\u00e9mon GO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The game itself will be free-to-play, with an option to purchase a Pok\u00e9mon Champions + Starter Pack Bundle, which will give players access to a variety of bonuses, including extra storage slots, premium currency, and a musical battle theme from Pok\u00e9mon: Let\u2019s Go, Pikachu!<\/a> and\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon: Let\u2019s Go, Eevee!<\/a><\/p>\n

Players with a Nintendo Switch 2 can download a free patch at launch, taking advantage of the more powerful hardware to enhance visual performance in Pok\u00e9mon Champions.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Champions is slated to be the ongoing competitive hub for all things Pok\u00e9mon battling. Players can compete online globally with their favourite Pok\u00e9mon teams, in casual or ranked matches, testing their skills as trainers. For more on what to expect, check out an overview below:<\/p>\n

Battle with Pok\u00e9mon\u2014including with Mega-Evolved Pok\u00e9mon, like Mega Dragonite\u2014against other players in the Pok\u00e9mon\u2122 Champions game\u2014the same game that will be used for the Pok\u00e9mon World Championships in 2026! These single and double battles use familiar mechanics from previous Pok\u00e9mon series games such as Pok\u00e9mon types, Abilities, and moves, enabling the rich and varied battle strategies you may already know and love.<\/p>\n

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**.<\/p>\n

Recruit Pok\u00e9mon to join your team and train them to hone their skills<\/p>\n

Before you venture into the world of Pok\u00e9mon battles, try finding Pok\u00e9mon to fight alongside you! Once per day, you can recruit Pok\u00e9mon on a trial basis and use them in battle to see if they\u2019re a good fit for your style. Once you\u2019ve found a match, use your in-game Victory Points (VP) to bring Pok\u00e9mon on to your team.<\/p>\n

You can also use your VP to train the permanent members of your Pok\u00e9mon squad. Hone their Attack, Defense, and other stats, and even alter their Abilities and moves to try out different strategies in battle!<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Champions Screenshots<\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon<\/a><\/p>\n

As someone adjacent to the continual craze of Pok\u00e9mon, I think it\u2019s a decent idea to have a dedicated platform for all things competitive battling. I hope it lessens the pressure for mainline titles to be everything for every fan in the future. <\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Champions is set to release on April 8th for Nintendo Switch 1 & 2. It will be released on mobile devices at a later date. For more information on the game, check out its official website.<\/a><\/p>\n

Stay tuned to RPGFan for all news on Pok\u00e9mon and RPG!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"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 The Pok\u00e9mon Company has announced that spin-off battler Pok\u00e9mon Champions will launch on April 8th for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-364294","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-new-zealand","9":"tag-newzealand","10":"tag-nz","11":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}