Pokemon Champions Release Date Announced for Nintendo Switch

The release date for Pokemon Champions on Nintendo Switch has finally been announced. This past month, during the annual “Pokemon Presents” live stream on Pokemon Day, it was revealed that Champions would be launching on Switch hardware at some point in April. With this window quickly approaching, it seemed likely that the game’s official release date would be unveiled in short order to prepare prospective players for its arrival. Now, that announcement has finally come about.

Revealed alongside an extensive new trailer, Pokemon Champions has been confirmed to be releasing in just a couple of short weeks on April 8th. Champions will be entirely free-to-play and will launch natively for Nintendo Switch platforms. For those playing on Nintendo Switch 2, though, it has been confirmed that Champions will look even better and will boast improved graphics.

As for how Pokemon Champions will play, the game has been verified to feature a variety of game modes that players have been requesting. Both single and double battles will be available within Champions and will be playable across ranked, casual, and private modes. Pokemon from past Pokemon games will then be able to be imported to Champions through Pokemon Home, which will make the game more or less the default location for multiplayer battles moving forward.

Pokemon Champions Will Get One More Release Later in 2026

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While Pokemon Champions will be rolling out on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in April, it will also be getting one additional release later in 2026. Specifically, Champions is also planned to launch on mobile platforms, where it will allow for cross-play and cross-progression with the Switch editions. This launch across mobile and Switch hardware will likely lead to Champions becoming massive and will let players continue battling one another even while they’re on the go.

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All in all, Pokemon Champions is set to continue a major hot streak that the Pokemon series is on at the moment. Recent releases like Pokemon Pokopia and the Switch ports of Pokemon FireRed and Pokemon LeafGreen have led to the series having a massive start to 2026. With Pokemon as a whole having recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, it’s clear that The Pokemon Company is looking to make this one of the best years ever for the franchise.

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