Pokémon Champions is a battle game you can download for free on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Android and iOS, and mobile players battle Switch players. You do not catch Pokémon here; you recruit and train them with Victory Points. The optional Starter Pack costs 6.99 € on Nintendo eShop (Germany, 20 October 2026). This guide covers what the pack includes, how recruiting and training work, how Champions connects to Pokémon HOME and why it is the official game for VGC tournaments.
What Pokémon Champions is and where you play it
Champions is purely about battles: types, Abilities and moves decide everything, with no world to explore. It launched on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on 8 April 2026, and on Android and iOS on 17 June 2026. The game is cross-platform, so on your phone you also face players on Switch. Online battles are for two players, and the game is rated PEGI 7.
How much Pokémon Champions costs
The base game is free (0 € on Nintendo eShop). You can pay for the following extras:
- Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack for 6.99 € on Nintendo eShop Germany (20 October 2026, not discounted). It includes room for 50 more Pokémon in your Box, the song Battle! (Trainer Battle) from Let’s Go, 30 Teammate Tickets and 50 Training Tickets.
- Premium Battle Pass with exclusive outfits.
- Paid membership with a bigger Box, more teams, exclusive missions and music.
The official pages list no prices for the Battle Pass or membership, so we do not either. Victory Points cannot be bought; you always earn them in battle.
Modes and Victory Points
There are three modes: Ranked, Casual and Private Battles, played in Single (one on one) or Double (two on two) format. Ranked battles reward Victory Points (VP), which you spend on recruiting and training Pokémon. Ranked rules change every few seasons. The first ruleset allows Mega Evolution, which needs a device called the Omni Ring.
Getting Pokémon: recruiting at Roster Ranch
Instead of catching Pokémon, you recruit them at Roster Ranch. Here is how it works:
- You spend VP on a random selection of Pokémon. A new selection appears for free every 22 hours.
- Trial Recruitment is free once a day. It lets you try a Pokémon, but you cannot train it during the trial.
- Permanent Recruitment keeps the Pokémon for good. You pay with VP or a Teammate Ticket.
- A Quick Coupon cuts the wait for a new selection by one hour.
Training: stats, Abilities and moves
Training with VP changes a Pokémon’s stats, Ability and moves. A Training Ticket covers one training session without VP. The Teammate and Training Tickets from the Starter Pack are most useful early on, before you have saved up VP.
Connecting with Pokémon HOME
From Pokémon HOME you can send selected Pokémon to Champions as visitors. The Pokémon has to be available in Champions, and after the visit it can return to HOME. A few rules apply:
- Pokémon you obtain directly in Champions cannot be sent to HOME.
- Training from Champions does not carry over to HOME. If the same Pokémon visits again, its training is still there, but changing its form erases it.
- As part of a promotion, Chesnaught, Delphox, Greninja and Eternal Flower Floette from Legends: Z-A earn you Chesnaughtite, Delphoxite, Greninjite and Floettite in Champions.
- Pokémon from FireRed and LeafGreen for Switch can visit Champions too.
The transfer process step by step is in our Pokémon HOME guide. What Z-A costs and whether the Switch 2 Edition is worth it is covered in our Legends: Z-A price guide.
Battle Pass and seasons
You collect Season Points (SP) in Ranked and other modes for both wins and losses. The Battle Pass resets every season. Some rewards, such as Mega Stones, are also sold in the Shop for VP.
Tournaments and VGC
Pokémon Champions is the official VGC software for the Pokémon World Championships 2026 and the Championship Series. In some regions Scarlet and Violet are also used. The official site lists online competitions as well, such as the 2027 Global Challenge I (24 September 2026) and II (7 October 2026). For account or purchase issues, Champions has its own support site (app-pcs.pokemon-support.com).
Languages
On Switch, Champions offers Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean and Chinese. Which other Pokémon games run on the new console is covered in our Switch 2 overview.
Join our Discord to find opponents for Private Battles and talk team building: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Yes, the base game is a free download on Switch, Switch 2, Android and iOS. The optional Starter Pack (6.99 € on Nintendo eShop Germany, 20 October 2026), the Premium Battle Pass and the membership are paid.
Room for 50 more Pokémon in your Box, the song Battle! (Trainer Battle) from Let’s Go, 30 Teammate Tickets and 50 Training Tickets.
No. You earn VP in Ranked battles and spend them on recruiting and training Pokémon.
Yes. The game is cross-platform, and the mobile version released on 17 June 2026 plays against the Switch and Switch 2 versions.
A Pokémon you sent from HOME as a visitor can return. Pokémon obtained directly in Champions cannot go to HOME, and training from Champions does not carry over.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are in our Pokémon guides section.