Pokémon Champions Replacing Scarlet & Violet for VGC in 2026

It’s the end of an era for competitive Pokémon VGC, and while fans have likely been expecting the change for some time now, the switch to a new generation game is both exciting and scary. Just as the format shifted from Shield & Sword to Scarlet & Violet, it’s time for a new and modernized format to take Scarlet & Violet’s place.

Per GamesRadar, Pokémon Champions will be replacing Scarlet & Violet as the official competitive VGC format, marking the end of an era for the franchise. Champions was announced earlier this year and will release in 2026 on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and mobile.

Pokémon Champions Will Replace Scarlet & Violet For VGC

The Next Generation For Competitive Pokémon Is Coming In 2026

Pokémon Champions will be the newest setting for competitive VGC once it launches in 2026, officially cycling out the current generation, Gen 9’s Scarlet & Violet. VGC is the official tournament format for competitive Pokémon battling at regional, national, and world championship levels.

The format changes and updates after a while, so this shift won’t be a huge surprise. For example, Scarlet & Violet is the Gen 9 format that replaced Sword & Shield (Gen 8). As such, Pokémon Champions will be the official Gen 10 iteration for VGC.

Crucially, as reported by Nintendo Life, it will become the official competitive game for VGC at Pokémon World Championships 2026, further emphasizing a transition to the new generation.

What We Know About The New Pokémon Game So Far

Pokémon Champions Is The Next Big VGC Move

Pokémon Champions is a highly anticipated, battle‑focused spin‑off unveiled in early 2025 that reimagines competitive Pokémon play as a standalone experience. Developed by The Pokémon Works in collaboration with Game Freak, it’s slated for release in 2026 on the Nintendo Switch family (including Switch 2) and mobile platforms.

Pokémon Champions is a dedicated, streamlined battle game. It emphasizes competitive formats, leverages Pokémon HOME, includes dynamic mechanics like Mega Evolutions and Terastalization via the Omni Ring, and uses a Victory Points system for team customization.

Champions zeroes in on PvP battling, offering singles and doubles options across three different formats, including Ranked, Casual, and Private matches. Streamlined training systems will make stat redistribution and other modifications easier as well.

Pokémon Champions will apparently be “free-to-start,” as opposed to free-to-play, though it isn’t entirely clear what this means. The full statement from the game’s PR is as follows:

“Pokémon Champions is a free-to-start game coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices in 2026. More details on a paid digital version of Pokémon Champions on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch systems will be shared in the future.”

Players will have to wait until Pokémon Champions officially releases next year to see what it has to offer, and competitive players will need to start preparing for the transition.