When is the Pokemon Champions release date?

The newest entry in the Pokemon series, Pokemon Champions, is a competitive battler unlike any other. Innovating on competitive battling, it is like if Pokemon Battle Revolution or Pokemon Stadium met Pokemon TCG Pocket. With a game like this, competitive Pokemon is primed to gain popularity, but when is it coming?

What is Pokemon Champions?

Pokemon Champions is a new type of Pokemon battle simulator. It has been designed and built to focus purely on the best part of Pokemon - constant head-to-head battles online. Teams will be built from your Pokemon in Pokemon Home as well as Pokemon acquired within the game itself.

Thanks to the game being a live-service battler, there will be balanced and streamlined mechanics in these matches, allowing for the competitive experience to be changed independently from the single-player experience. This is a gamechanger for the competitive metagame.

Also, Pokemon Champions will receive regular updates, whether that it so add new Pokemon, new battle mechanics, new formats, or even new cosmetics. This is the live-service battler we have all dreamed of, and it is just moments away.

When is Pokemon Champions coming out?

As confirmed in the latest (as of July 22, 2025) Pokemon Presents, Pokemon Champions is coming out in 2026. We unfortunately do not have any more details yet, but based on estimates, the game is likely to come out in the first half of 2026.

There have been various reports of the game being mostly completed already, so it is a surprise that we still have at least a half-year to wait for the game to arrive. Still, if this means the game is polished and launches issue-free, that is well worth it.

How can you prepare for Pokemon Champions?

That 6+ month countdown means the clock is ticking on you preparing your teams and practicing online. Whether you're practicing in online Pokemon Scarlet Violet battles, playing on Pokemon Showdown, or using OHKO's own team builder to plan out your squads, it is time to get serious.

It is also time to learn as much as you can about the current meta, as many elements are likely to carry over to Pokemon Champions. Given the Pokemon pool will increase over time, the meta will get more and more unpredictable, so getting a good start with the 'Mons we have now is a great start.

Make sure to keep an eye here on OHKO for updates and news regarding Pokemon Champions, as well as new tools for you to use when building your Pokemon Champions teams!