This one’s free to play for those of you who haven’t kept up with it, and you can dive in on your Switch, Android, or iOS. It takes you to the Frontier, where you’re going to have to capture Pokémon and train them to take on opponents in battles that put a fresh but familiar spin on the formula to enable varied strategies for both newcomers and veterans alike.

If you’re on Pokémon Home, you’ll be pleased to know that you can bring over your Pokémon. While the trailer is somewhat light on the details, the battle-focused multiplayer title includes familiar abilities and mechanics, including Mega Evolutions. In fact, some, like Mega Meganium, Mega Emboar, and Mega Feraligatr from Pokémon Legends: Z-A even get “never-before-seen abilities.”

You can learn more here, but if you’ve ever wanted to prove your mettle as a trainer, Pokémon Champions is a sure-fire way to do that. It’s free to play and can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop. For those seeking a more traditional Pokémon experience, Pokémon Winds and Waves is launching in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2. Head here for more details.

“This could change competitive Pokémon in ways I can’t even fathom,” Glick posted on X.

While he hasn’t elaborated further, the general accessibility of Pokémon Champions could be a major factor for this thought. The game has been announced for Nintendo Switch as well as Android and iOS, and thus will likely be available to a much wider audience than if it were exclusive to Nintendo’s console.

Pokémon Champions will also feature cross-platform multiplayer between the Nintendo Switch version and the iOS and Android counterparts, and the handheld nature of the game will likely be conducive to quick pick-up games..

The game will also include a host of features that competitive players might find interesting. While Nintendo itself hasn’t confirmed too many details about the title yet, fans of the franchise going through the announcement trailer have noticed various concepts like Mega Evolution and Terastalization being used.

Pokémon Champions will also be allowing players to make use of their vast collection of Pokémon through integration with Pokémon HOME. This means that Pokémon fans that have been carrying over their collection through various generations of Pokémon games can use them to set up their battle teams for Pokémon Champions.

For players that might want to dip their toes into the Pokémon Champions scene but don’t have a large collection already in Pokémon HOME, the game will feature its own roster of Pokémon for players to choose from.

Pokémon Champions doesn’t yet have a release date. For more details, check out our coverage of its announcement and trailer from earlier this week.

Alongside Pokémon Champions, The Pokémon Company also announced that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be coming to Nintendo Switch in late 2025. The release window was announced alongside a trailer that gave us a look at some gameplay, as well as the upcoming title’s three starter Pokémon: Totodile, Chikorita and Tepig.

The trailer also showcased exploration, both on the streets as well as on building rooftops thanks to the presence of teleportation lifts. The entirety of Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be set in Lumiose City.

While celebrating Pokémon Day, Pokémon Company boss Tsunekazu Ishihara spoke about how the company can’t afford to grow complacent and “go with the flow”, and that it will have to keep evolving.

“Pokemon is the only thing we do at the Pokemon Company,” said Ishihara earlier this week. “Whatever profit we make from Pokemon gets reinvested in Pokemon.”

“If we continue focusing on our mission, Pokemon can probably continue to its 50th or 100th anniversary […] We’ll go bust when Pokemon is no longer popular,” he continued. “If we become complacent and go with the flow, that’s when Pokemon will go downhill.”

this could change competitive Pokemon in ways I can’t even fathom pic.twitter.com/TPLTreHLBc

— Wolfey (@WolfeyGlick) February 27, 2025

Developed by The Pokemon Works with Game Freak handling the panning, Pokemon Champions focuses on battles (with the trailer depicting their evolution through the decades). It promises “familiar” mechanics like different Pokemon types and moves, which creates an “environment conducive to rich and varied strategies for new and experienced Trainers alike.”

Interestingly, you don’t have to lean on Pokemon from within the game. With Pokemon HOME, it’s possible to bring classic monsters into battle. It also includes cross-platform play between Nintendo Switch and mobile devices alongside various modes. One would think this means a Ranked experience (among other things), but time will tell.

Pokemon Champions doesn’t have a release date, so stay tuned for more details in the coming months. As for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it launches in late 2025 for Nintendo Switch, with a Switch 2 release still unconfirmed.