Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Pokemon Red and Blue key art
Pokemon Pokemon boss has a very straightforward plan for future releases: "keep making fun games"
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen speedrunner finishes the re-releases in under 3 hours, discovers Legendary events are included
A player ponders over a crafting bench in Pokemon Pokopia, not available on the Switch 1.
Pokemon Can I play Pokemon Pokopia on Switch 1?
A screenshot of the player character looking at the three starter Pokemon in Pokemon Winds and Waves.
Pokemon Pokemon being "a game for children" is "a misunderstanding," Game Freak veteran once said
A screenshot from the Pokemon Pokopia trailer shows Ditto transformed into a human.
Pokemon 13 things I wish I knew before starting Pokemon Pokopia
Four players play together with Pokemon Pokopia Game Share
Pokemon Here's how Game Share works for Pokemon Pokopia
Pokemon Presents 2026
Pokemon All Pokemon Presents 2026 codes and rewards for Pokemon Go, Legends Z-A, TCG Pocket, and more
Ditto waits to transform at the Pokemon Pokopia release time.
Pokemon When is the Pokemon Pokopia release time?
Upcoming Switch 2 games banner image showing a figure holding out their hand from Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave, Yoshi from Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Ditto in human form with Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Scyther, Timburr in Pokopia, and Mario from Mario Tennis Fever
Nintendo Switch 2 Upcoming Switch 2 games: New Nintendo Switch 2 games for 2026 and beyond
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot
Pokemon Pokemon Pokopia review: "A brilliantly bizarre blend of Pokemon and Animal Crossing"
Screenshot from LumenTale: Memories of Trey, showing a top-down image of a boy running across concrete pavement with the beach in the background.
RPGs Dismissing Pokemon comparisons would make us "hypocrites," creature-collecting RPG devs say after $186,000 Kickstarter
A trainer looking out at the ocean during the trailer for Pokemon Winds and Waves
Pokemon Pokemon Winds and Waves: Everything we know about the next Pokemon game so far
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
Pokemon The ultimate Pokemon Pokopia guide for restoring the world around you
Pokemon First Partner Illustration Collection Series 1 box against a colorful background with a Charmander, statues, and other items from the original video games
Tabletop Gaming Where to buy Pokemon TCG First Partner Illustration Collection Series 1, the highly anticipated new release
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
Pokemon After 30 years, Pokemon Pokopia finally answers an important question for "the hardcore lore freaks"
  1. Games
  2. Adventure Games
  3. Pokemon

Pokemon Champions brings pocket 'mon PvP to Nintendo Switch in April 2026 according to a flashy new live-action trailer, which also confirms mobile version coming "later this year"

News
By Ashley Bardhan published 27 February 2026

It's not easy being the champ

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A pokemon prepares for battle
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Pokemon Champions is set to release this April, with a mobile version of the PvP battler launching "later this year."

The Pokemon Company revealed the release window during its Pokemon Presents livestream on February 27, in a splashy, new live-action trailer you can watch in full below. A live-action trailer means there's fine print at the bottom clarifying that a large, aggressive man and a little, smirking girl beating each other up in Pokemon Champions from inside a popcorn-covered stadium is "not representative of actual gameplay experience." But, you know, if you look closely, there are some legitimate hints in the trailer as to what might be coming in Pokemon Champions.

Pokémon Champions Arrives in 2026! - YouTube Pokémon Champions Arrives in 2026! - YouTube
Watch On

In another clip, four kids battle each other in a nail-biting bracket – seemingly confirming that up to four players can tussle at a time. Later, a woman sitting alone on the bus leads her stern-faced Tyranitar to victory with a strategic Stone Edge attack summoning a burst of splintered rocks from the ground, demonstrating that you can be a Pokemon champion especially while enjoying your local public transit.

You may like
  • Key art for Pokemon Champions Pokemon Champions: Everything you need to know ahead of the Nintendo game's release
  • Pokemon I've been playing Pokemon for 27 years – these are my 7 Pokemon Day predictions for the 2026 celebrations
  • Pokemon Presents 2026 All Pokemon Presents 2026 codes and rewards for Pokemon Go, Legends Z-A, TCG Pocket, and more

Visually, all the Pokemon Champions snippets this latest trailer shows off are vibrant and dynamic – in the style of developer past work of the game's developer, The Pokemon Works, which made the cute tracker Pokemon Sleep and the less popular Pokemon Friends puzzle game. Where will Pokemon Champions fall on the developer's track record? We'll learn soon, in April.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen re-releases will be compatible with Pokemon Home after all, so you can once again bring GBA-era creatures to your modern collection.


Pokemon Day Deals

Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle
33% OFF
Pokémon
Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle
$39.95$59.99
shop now
Pokemon 8" Plush Starter 3-Pack
39% OFF
Pokémon
Pokemon 8" Plush Starter 3-Pack
$39.99$65.99
shop now
Pokémon Pokopia
Nintendo
Pokémon Pokopia
$69.99
shop now
PowerA Wired Stereo Headset Kanto Friends Edition
PowerA
PowerA Wired Stereo Headset Kanto Friends Edition
$29.99
shop now
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
The Pokemon Company
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Switch Mobile Gaming Platforms Nintendo
Ashley Bardhan
Ashley Bardhan
Social Links Navigation
Senior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Key art for Pokemon Champions
Pokemon Champions: Everything you need to know ahead of the Nintendo game's release
 
 
Pokemon
I've been playing Pokemon for 27 years – these are my 7 Pokemon Day predictions for the 2026 celebrations
 
 
Pokemon Presents 2026
All Pokemon Presents 2026 codes and rewards for Pokemon Go, Legends Z-A, TCG Pocket, and more
 
 
A Mega Starmie ex surrounded by flashes of color
Next Pokemon TCG expansion is based on the Pokemon Legends: Z-A game
 
 
Pokemon
Everything announced at the Pokemon Presents February showcase to celebrate Pokemon Day 2026
 
 
A screenshot of Pokemon Pokopia showing Ditto and Bulbasaur growing more grass in a blocky, green field
Pokopia lead wants to "scale" games "aside from battling," as "there are also lots of different ways to enjoy Pokemon"
 
 
Latest in Pokemon
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been on Switch for over a week, but many players are still stuck in Oak's Lab
 
 
A ditto takes a selfie when visiting the Pokopia developer island
How to visit the Pokopia developer island
 
 
Pickmon
Pokemon and Palworld clones are officially out of hand, as fans react to "lawsuitmaxxing" new game Pickmon
 
 
A ditto who looks like a human smiles for a selfie in front of the Pokopia area map.
How many areas there are in Pokemon Pokopia?
 
 
A scenic shot of duckweed growing under a waterfall in Pokemon Pokopia
How to make and move duckweed in Pokemon Pokopia
 
 
Pokopia
Pokopia builds are already blowing minds, proving fans are as creative as Animal Crossing and Minecraft players
 
 
Latest in News
Big Walk
"Complicated feelings on our end": Indie devs behind new Peak-like co-op understand you think it's friendslop
 
 
A Na'vi draws a bow in Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron says Avatar 4 is still "very likely", despite Fire and Ash making $870 million less than The Way of Water
 
 
Ghost of Yotei Legends
"Mark my words. You cannot win without 4 players," Ghost of Yotei multiplayer lead warns of Legends' "hardcore content"
 
 
Dragon Age 2
Dragon Age 2 was originally planned to be "much bigger" before EA made other demands, says series lead
 
 
A soldier holding a gun and running through a battlefield with a group, showing the strong multiplayer elements and crisp visuals of Battlefield 6.
Battlefield 6 devs reportedly hit with layoffs after what EA called "the biggest launch in franchise history"
 
 
A close-up of Grace talking with someone through glass in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem actor says Capcom wanted "cinematic performances" to keep up with the technical side of the game
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Pickmon
    1
    Pokemon and Palworld clones are officially out of hand, as fans react to "lawsuitmaxxing" new game Pickmon and its "straight up rip-offs" of iconic 'mons like Charizard
  2. 2
    After years of torturing myself over NES color accuracy, it turns out there is no consensus for how the retro console should look
  3. 3
    Kinda sounds like Elijah Wood WILL be in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, as he admits he "wouldn't want anybody else to play Frodo"
  4. 4
    Resident Evil Requiem Grace actor says Capcom wanted more "cinematic performances" to keep pace with the devs "leveling up" the technical side of the horror game
  5. 5
    How many areas there are in Pokemon Pokopia?

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...