In a historic first for the Pokémon World Championship Series, the 2026 season and beyond will feature VGC competitors battling on the upcoming game Pokémon Champions, rather than a traditional mainline title. To further shake up the format next year, the official Pokémon Champions ruleset will include the Mega Evolution mechanic.
Traditionally, players spend the competitive season vying for a World Championships invitation using the latest core Pokémon game, such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet or, previously, Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Pokémon Champions is not a story-driven RPG, but a new multiplayer-focused battle game launching on mobile and Nintendo Switch. With a streamlined training system, it aims to make competitive play more accessible. The game will also support Pokémon Home connectivity, allowing trainers to transfer their existing Pokémon collections. It remains unclear which legacy Pokémon will be eligible for next year's official format.
Pokémon Champions delivers core-style battles incorporating mechanics from across the series, including Mega Evolution from Pokémon X and Y and Terastalization from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. We already know Mega Evolution will be part of this year's Ranked Battles format. Mega Dragonite, recently revealed in a trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, will also be available in Pokémon Champions.
Scheduled for a 2026 release, Pokémon Champions is being developed by Game Freak alongside The Pokémon Works. Since the competitive season typically begins shortly after the previous World Championships, it's yet to be seen how the game's launch timeline will impact this year's tournament schedule.
This year has been one of many milestones for the Pokémon World Championships. VGC Champion Kevin Han made history by winning titles consecutively in the Junior and Senior divisions. It also marked the first time Championship Sunday was hosted in a major arena. Next year, the 2026 Pokémon World Championships' Championship Sunday will take place at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
