Pokémon Champions is meant to become more than just a new PvP spin-off: according to producer Masaaki Hoshino, the game is designed as a long-term platform that, in the best-case scenario, could keep running "forever." To achieve that, The Pokémon Works and Game Freak are relying on a live-service model with rotating Pokémon pools so that the battle system remains manageable even with thousands of possible pocket monsters. The free-to-start title launches on April 8, 2026 for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.