After months of rumors and leaks, we finally have our first official look at Pokémon Champions. This new multiplayer-focused Pokémon battle game is being developed collaboratively by Game Freak and The Pokémon Works — a joint venture between The Pokémon Company and ILCA, the studio behind Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Pokémon Champions centers on Pokémon battles, featuring the series' core-style combat system and enabling online player-versus-player matches. The trailer confirms that both Mega Evolution and Terastalization will be included, and the reveal suggests the game will draw from various types and eras of Pokémon battles.
Additionally, Pokémon Champions will integrate with Pokémon Home, allowing trainers to transfer Pokémon from other games into this one. This finally gives players a way to use the hundreds of Pokémon stored in their boxes from previous generations.
Pokémon Champions is currently in development for both Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, though no release date has been announced. It will support Latin American Spanish at launch, alongside other languages already available in Pokémon games.
Pokémon Champions appears to be the same title as Pokémon Synapse, which first surfaced last year as part of the major "Freak Leak." That breach revealed a wealth of internal Game Freak information, including details on unreleased games, meeting notes, Pokémon designs, and more. At the time, the most concrete information indicated it was a co-development between Game Freak and ILCA, while the rest remained speculative. Those who analyzed the leak suggested it was some form of multiplayer game, with some comparing it to Splatoon — though that comparison now seems slightly off the mark.
Catch up on everything else revealed in today's Pokémon Presents right here.
