A Call to Arms!
With Pokémon Champions available now and the Warm-up Challenge concluded, The Pokémon Company has revealed the next in-game competition. Using standard Regulation M-A rules, the Global Challenge 2026 is set to get underway on May 1, 2026 at 02:00 UTC and concludes on May 4, 2026 at 01:59 UTC, with registration available now.
Participating in at least three battles will earn you a Venusaur and 100 Quick Coupons, but for players in Japan and South Korea, participation in this event will serve as a qualifier to enter local tournaments, where they can then earn the right to qualify for the Pokémon World Championships.
Furthermore, in light of this event, a new special roster has also been added to the ranch in Pokémon Champions. The Special Roster features a smaller line-up of Pokémon that are sure to give players an edge when building their teams for this competition, but you will need to act fast to make the most of the new roster, as it is only sticking around until May 4, 2026 at 01:59 UTC.
Will you be taking part in the Global Challenge 2026? Let us know!
About Pokémon Champions:
Pokémon battles for everyone!
Battle with Pokémon—including with Mega-Evolved Pokémon, like Mega Dragonite—against other players in the Pokémon™ Champions game—the same game that will be used for the Pokémon World Championships in 2026! These single and double battles use familiar mechanics from previous Pokémon series games such as Pokémon types, Abilities, and moves, enabling the rich and varied battle strategies you may already know and love.
Compete in Ranked Battles against players from all over the world*, or try Casual Battles for some easygoing fun. You can also have Private Battles with just your friends and family**.
Recruit Pokémon to join your team and train them to hone their skills
Before you venture into the world of Pokémon battles, try finding Pokémon to fight alongside you! Once per day, you can recruit Pokémon on a trial basis and use them in battle to see if they’re a good fit for your style. Once you’ve found a match, use your in-game Victory Points (VP) to bring Pokémon on to your team.
You can also use your VP to train the permanent members of your Pokémon squad. Hone their Attack, Defense, and other stats, and even alter their Abilities and moves to try out different strategies in battle!
Pokémon Champions will be compatible with Pokémon HOME***, the cloud service for the Nintendo Switch™ 2 and Nintendo Switch system, and mobile devices. That means, in addition to the Pokémon partners available in Pokémon Champions, you can also team up with certain Pokémon brought over from past Pokémon series games and Pokémon GO.
Every Nintendo Game, Application & DLC Releasing in 2026:
- (NS2) Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | Release Date: January 15, 2026
- (NS2) Mario Tennis Fever | Release Date: February 12, 2026
- (NSW & NS2) Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics | Release Date: February 17, 2026
- (NSW, NS2, Android & iOS) Hello, Mario! | Release Date: February 19, 2026
- (NS2) Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | Release Date: February 19, 2026 (Digital)
- (NSW & NS2) Pokémon FireRed Version | Release Date: February 27, 2026
- (NSW & NS2) Pokémon LeafGreen Version | Release Date: February 27, 2026
- (NS2) Pokémon Pokopia | Release Date: March 5, 2026
- (NS2) Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park | Release Date: March 26, 2026
- (NSW & NS2) Pokémon Champions | Release Date: April 8, 2026
- (NSW, NS2, Android & iOS) Hello, Yoshi! | Release Date: April 9, 2026
- (NSW & NS2) Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream | Release Date: April 16, 2026
- (NS2) Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | Release Date: April 16, 2026 (Physical)
- (NS2) Yoshi and the Mysterious Book | Release Date: May 21, 2026
- (NSW & NS2) Rhythm Heaven Groove | Release Date: July 2, 2026
- (NS2) Splatoon Raiders | Release Date: July 23, 2026
- (NS2) Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave | Release Date: 2026
Every amiibo Releasing in 2026:
- Meta Knight & Shadow Star amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | Release Date: March 5, 2026
- Ratha amiibo (Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection) | Release Date: March 13, 2026
- Ratha V amiibo (Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection) | Release Date: March 13, 2026
- Rudy amiibo (Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection) | Release Date: March 13, 2026
- Captain Toad & Treasure Tracker amiibo (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) | Release Date: March 26, 2026
- Elephant Mario amiibo (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) | Release Date: March 26, 2026
- Poplin & Prince Florian amiibo (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) | Release Date: March 26, 2026
- Mario and Luma amiibo (Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2) | Release Date: April 2, 2026
- Rosalina and Lumas amiibo (Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2) | Release Date: April 2, 2026
- Diana amiibo (PRAGMATA) | Release Date: June 11, 2026
- King Dedede & Tank Star amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | Release Date: July 2, 2026
- Big Man amiibo (Splatoon Raiders) | Release Date: July 23, 2026
- Frye amiibo (Splatoon Raiders) | Release Date: July 23, 2026
- Shiver amiibo (Splatoon Raiders) | Release Date: July 23, 2026
- Grace Ashcroft amiibo (Resident Evil Requiem) | Release Date: July 30, 2026
- Leon S. Kennedy amiibo (Resident Evil Requiem) | Release Date: July 30, 2026
- Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | Release Date: 2026
- Noir Dedede & Hydra amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | Release Date: 2026
- Sword Kirby & Dragoon amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | Release Date: 2026
- Mineru’s Construct amiibo (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) | Release Date: TBD
Source: Serebii
