For all of us with a Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Champions is already out. But anyone waiting on the mobile release, there's still time to go.

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Focused entirely on Pokémon battling, it's probably the closest we're ever going to get to Pokémon Showdown on a Nintendo console.

So, if you're looking to Pokémon battle on your phone, here's what you need to know about the Pokémon Champions mobile release date!

When is the Pokémon Champions release date on mobile?

Key art for Pokemon Champions showing the game's release date
Pokémon Champions. YouTube/ Nintendo of America

Pokémon Champions is currently scheduled to release in 2026 on mobile devices.

The game will be releasing on both iOS and Android devices when it does launch.

Of course, the game is already out on Nintendo Switch, having released in April this year.

What is Pokémon Champions?

Pokemon Champions trailer key art showing two Trainers and four Pokemon with the title card
Pokémon Champions. YouTube/Nintendo of America

Pokémon Champions is a free-to-start, turn-based strategy spin-off built to focus entirely on Pokémon battles rather than a dedicated open-world RPG.

Developed by The Pokémon Works in collaboration with Game Freak, it centres on online competition, with Ranked, Casual, and Private Battles available in both Single and Double formats. Players can put together teams by recruiting Pokémon in-game or by bringing certain partners over through Pokémon Home (from Scarlet & Violet, Legends: Z-A, FireRed & LeafGreen, etc), while cross-platform play is planned across Nintendo Switch and mobile.

Along with supporting major power-up mechanics from mainline games via the player's Omni Ring — Mega Evolution, Z-moves, Gigantamax, Dynamax, and Terastallization — Champions is replacing the use of the latest mainline Pokémon games at official Play!

Pokemon VGC events, like the Pokemon World Championships; with that, players can consistently take part in the competitive scene without having to start over every few years with the newest title, as Champions can simply update its meta with the latest mechanics as the meta evolves with new games.

Which consoles and platforms can play Pokémon Champions?

Children playing Pokemon Champions on Nintendo Switch in the Pokemon Day 2026 trailer
Pokémon Champions. YouTube/ The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

After launching on both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch consoles on 8 April, Pokémon Champions will also be released on iOS and Android mobile devices later this year.

Full list of available Pokémon in Champions

Renting Scizor in Pokemon Champions, which is one of the Pokemon available on the full list in the game
Pokémon Champions. YouTube/Nintendo of America

Confirmed by Serebii, Pokémon Champions has 162 Pokémon that are available to rent in the game by recruiting for free and spending Victory Points — instead of using those you have through Pokémon Home; the full list of Pokémon available to rent in Champions is as follows:

  • Venusaur — Grass/Poison type
  • Charizard — Fire/Flying type
  • Blastoise — Water type
  • Beedrill — Bug/Poison type
  • Pikachu — Electric type
  • Raichu — Electric type
  • Raichu (Alolan) — Electric/Psychic type
  • Clefable — Fairy type
  • Ninetales — Fire type
  • Ninetales (Alolan) — Ice/Fairy type
  • Arcanine — Fire type
  • Arcanine (Hisuian) — Fire/Rock type
  • Alakazam — Psychic type
  • Victreebel — Grass/Poison type
  • Slowbro — Water/Psychic type
  • Slowbro (Galarian) — Poison/Psychic type
  • Gengar — Ghost/Poison type
  • Kangaskhan — Normal type
  • Starmie — Water/Psychic type
  • Pinsir — Bug type
  • Tauros — Normal type
  • Gyarados — Water/Flying type
  • Ditto — Normal type
  • Vaporeon — Water type
  • Jolteon — Electric type
  • Flareon — Fire type
  • Aerodactyl — Rock/Flying type
  • Snorlax — Normal type
  • Dragonite — Dragon/Flying type
  • Meganium — Grass type
  • Typhlosion — Fire type
  • Typhlosion (Hisuian) — Fire/Ghost type
  • Feraligatr — Water type
  • Ampharos — Electric type
  • Azumarill — Water/Fairy type
  • Politoed — Water type
  • Espeon — Psychic type
  • Umbreon — Dark type
  • Slowking — Water/Psychic type
  • Steelix — Steel/Ground type
  • Scizor — Bug/Steel type
  • Heracross — Bug/Fighting type
  • Skarmory — Steel/Flying type
  • Houndoom — Dark/Fire type
  • Tyranitar — Rock/Dark type
  • Pelipper — Water/Flying type
  • Gardevoir — Psychic/Fairy type
  • Sableye — Dark/Ghost type
  • Aggron — Steel/Rock type
  • Torkoal — Fire type
  • Altaria — Dragon/Flying type
  • Milotic — Water type
  • Castform — Normal type
  • Absol — Dark type
  • Metagross — Steel/Psychic type
  • Torterra — Grass/Ground type
  • Infernape — Fire/Fighting type
  • Empoleon — Water/Steel type
  • Lopunny — Normal type
  • Spiritomb — Ghost/Dark type
  • Garchomp — Dragon/Ground type
  • Lucario — Fighting/Steel type
  • Hippowdon — Ground type
  • Abomasnow — Grass/Ice type
  • Weavile — Dark/Ice type
  • Rhyperior — Ground/Rock type
  • Leafeon — Grass type
  • Glaceon — Ice type
  • Gliscor — Ground/Flying type
  • Mamoswine — Ice/Ground type
  • Gallade — Psychic/Fighting type
  • Froslass — Ice/Ghost type
  • Rotom — Electric/Ghost type
  • Serperior — Grass type
  • Emboar — Fire/Fighting type
  • Samurott — Water type
  • Samurott (Hisuian) — Water/Dark type
  • Excadrill — Ground/Steel type
  • Audino — Normal type
  • Conkeldurr — Fighting type
  • Whimsicott — Grass/Fairy type
  • Krookodile — Ground/Dark type
  • Garbodor — Poison type
  • Zoroark — Dark type
  • Zoroark (Hisuian) — Normal/Ghost type
  • Vanilluxe — Ice type
  • Emolga — Electric/Flying type
  • Chandelure — Ghost/Fire type
  • Stunfisk (Galarian) — Ground/Steel type
  • Golurk — Ground/Ghost type
  • Hydreigon — Dark/Dragon type
  • Volcarona — Bug/Fire type
  • Chesnaught — Grass/Fighting type
  • Delphox — Fire/Psychic type
  • Greninja — Water/Dark type
  • Diggersby — Normal/Ground type
  • Talonflame — Fire/Flying type
  • Vivillon — Bug/Flying type
  • Floette — Fairy type
  • Furfrou — Normal type
  • Meowstic — Psychic type
  • Aegislash — Steel/Ghost type
  • Clawitzer — Water type
  • Tyrantrum — Rock/Dragon type
  • Aurorus — Rock/Ice type
  • Sylveon — Fairy type
  • Hawlucha — Fighting/Flying type
  • Goodra — Dragon type
  • Klefki — Steel/Fairy type
  • Trevenant — Ghost/Grass type
  • Gourgeist — Ghost/Grass type
  • Noivern — Flying/Dragon type
  • Decidueye — Grass/Ghost type
  • Decidueye (Hisuian) — Grass/Fighting type
  • Incineroar — Fire/Dark type
  • Primarina — Water/Fairy type
  • Toucannon — Normal/Flying type
  • Crabominable — Fighting/Ice type
  • Lycanroc — Rock type
  • Toxapex — Poison/Water type
  • Mudsdale — Ground type
  • Araquanid — Water/Bug type
  • Tsareena — Grass type
  • Oranguru — Normal/Psychic type
  • Mimikyu — Ghost/Fairy type
  • Drampa — Normal/Dragon type
  • Kommo-o — Dragon/Fighting type
  • Corviknight — Flying/Steel type
  • Appletun — Grass/Dragon type
  • Sandaconda — Ground type
  • Polteageist — Ghost type
  • Hatterene — Psychic/Fairy type
  • Grimmsnarl — Dark/Fairy type
  • Mr. Rime — Ice/Psychic type
  • Runerigus — Ground/Ghost type
  • Alcremie — Fairy type
  • Morpeko — Electric/Dark type
  • Dragapult — Dragon/Ghost type
  • Kleavor — Bug/Rock type
  • Ursaluna — Ground/Normal type
  • Basculegion — Water/Ghost type
  • Sneasler — Fighting/Poison type
  • Meowscarada — Grass/Dark type
  • Skeledirge — Fire/Ghost type
  • Quaquaval — Water/Fighting type
  • Pawmot — Electric/Fighting type
  • Maushold — Normal type
  • Garganacl — Rock type
  • Armarouge — Fire/Psychic type
  • Ceruledge — Fire/Ghost type
  • Scovillain — Grass/Fire type
  • Tinkaton — Fairy/Steel type
  • Palafin — Water type
  • Orthworm — Steel type
  • Glimmora — Rock/Poison type
  • Dondozo — Water type
  • Tatsugiri — Dragon/Water type
  • Farigiraf — Normal/Psychic type
  • Kingambit — Dark/Steel type
  • Sinistcha — Grass/Ghost type
  • Archaludon — Steel/Dragon type
  • Hydrapple — Grass/Dragon type

Is there a trailer for Pokémon Champions?

Several Pokémon Champions trailers have dropped since the game's announcement in early 2025; starting with the reveal trailer on Pokémon Day that year.

Late 2025 overview

After a few months of silence, the Pokémon Company dropped a two-minute gameplay reveal showing snippets of battles and the game's Pokémon recruitment feature.

Pokémon Day 2026 trailer

To add to the Pokémon Day celebrations in 2026, Champions has given an exciting new minute-and-a-half trailer — hinting at how the new battle-focused spin-off will take the lead on the video game series' competitive battling scene.

Overview trailer

Ahead of the game's release date, the overview trailer gave us the biggest look at Pokemon Champions' gameplay yet; not only does this trailer give us a proper deep dive into how the Pokemon recruitment mechanic works, but also how battles and currencies work, new abilities for Legends: Z-A starter's Mega Evolutions (Feraligatr, Meganium, and Emboar), and even breakdowns on how to easily optimise Pokemon with natures and EVs.

World overview trailer

The last trailer we've seen before the Pokémon Champions' release date, this new overview was essentially a new cutscene showing off the game's world of the Battle Arena in the city of Frontier, along with revealing two of its characters as they start a Pokémon battle: Carawat (owner of the Battle Arena) and Kajima (Mayor of Frontier).

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Authors

Jon NicholsonFreelance Writer

Jon Nicholson is a Freelance Gaming Writer, specialising in the Call of Duty franchise. He previously worked for Gfinity, GGRecon and Red Bull writing a variety of gaming news and guides. Alongside his previous work, he's a Freelance News Writer for Esports Insider.

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