Pokemon Champions will take over from the mainline games that have served as the primary platform for the Video Game Championships (VGC) series since 2009. While many details about the upcoming game remain under wraps, Pokemon Champions already appears poised to end one of the longest-standing traditions in competitive events.
When the first official VGC World Championship was held 16 years ago, Trainers competed using the mainline game Pokemon Platinum. Since then, every subsequent event has followed the same tradition, using the latest Pokemon release as the competition's battleground. But that will change in 2026, when a new entry in the franchise finally launches.
According to The Pokemon Company, when Pokemon Champions arrives in 2026, it will become the central hub for all VGC-related activities. In other words, Trainers will bring their Pokemon to this game and use it as the arena for all championship battles. It has also been confirmed that the game is compatible with Pokemon Home, allowing fans to use critters captured in other installments. However, it is not clear which pocket monsters will be eligible for in-person events.
Another unconfirmed detail is how players will collect Championship Points (CP) before Pokemon Champions debuts....
