Pokémon Champions will Replace Scarlet and Violet at the Pokémon World Championships Next Year

In a Pokémon World Championship Series first, the 2026 and aboriginal formats volition beryllium utilizing yet-to-be-released Pokémon Champions arsenic the crippled for VGC competitors alternatively of a "mainline" game. To power up the format adjacent much adjacent year, Pokémon Champions volition see the Mega Evolution mechanic successful the authoritative format.

Usually, players vie successful fierce Pokémon battles passim the twelvemonth for a spot astatine the Pokémon World Championships utilizing the astir caller "core," oregon "mainline" Pokémon game, similar Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, oregon Pokémon Sword and Shield earlier that.

Pokémon Champions isn't a self-contained communicative game, but alternatively a new, multiplayer battle-focused Pokémon crippled coming to some mobile and Nintendo Switch. It features a simplified grooming system, which should marque competitory battling much accessible than ever. It volition besides person compatibility with Pokémon Home, allowing trainers to transportation bequest Pokémon from different games. We're unsure which Pokémon from what games volition beryllium ineligible to usage successful adjacent year's format.

Pokémon Champions features "core-style battles" with gimmicks from each eras of Pokémon, including Mega Evolution, primitively from Pokémon X and Y, and Terastalization, from the caller Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. So far, we cognize that Mega Evolution volition instrumentality successful Ranked Battles successful this year's authoritative format. Mega Dragonite, precocious revealed successful a Pokémon Legends: Z-A Trailer, volition besides beryllium coming to Pokémon Champions.

Pokémon Champions is acceptable to beryllium released successful 2026 and is being developed by Game Freak successful collaboration with The Pokémon Works. Players usually statesman competing for Championship Points soon aft the erstwhile year's World Championships, truthful we've yet to spot however the merchandise day volition impact tournaments for this year's format.

This is simply a twelvemonth of galore firsts for the Pokemon World Championships. VGC Champion Kevin Han made past by taking the title rubric successful the Junior and past Senior divisions successful back-to-back years, and it's the archetypal clip Championship Sunday was held successful an arena. Next year, the 2026 Pokemon World Championships' Championship Sunday volition beryllium held astatine the Chase Arena successful San Francisco.

Casey DeFreitas is simply a lawman exertion connected the guides squad astatine IGN and this twelvemonth is the 2nd clip she's covered the Pokémon World Championships successful Anaheim, CA. Catch her connected socials @ShinyCaseyD.