Pokémon Champions Global Challenge 2026 Announced, New Home for Competitive

The first Pokémon Champions Online competition has been revealed, and it brings a large shift to the competitive landscape. We've known for quite some time that Champions was going to be the new home of Competitive Pokémon battling, but this challenge

That's right, on April 23, you'll be able to register for the competition until May 4. The battles then take place between May 1 and May 4, 2026.

Online Competition: Global Challenge 2026 I

Here are the details we have for the Online Competition:

• Registration Opens: April 23rd at 12:00 a.m. UTC
• Registration Closes: May 4th at 1:59 a.m. UTC
• Competition Period: May 1st at 2:00 a.m. UTC through May 4 at 1:59 a.m. UTC

Rules and Format

You'll be battling under Regulation M-A rules. The specifics are under wraps for now, but based on the artwork given for the Japan Championships 2026, it looks to heavily feature the Mega evolutions introduced in Legends: Z-A.

With Pokémon Champions handling the event, we're curious to see how the new game handles the flow of the competition. Keep your eyes peeled for more information as we approach the release of the game.

Rewards for Participation

Participating in this event comes with a few nice bonuses:

• Venusaur: For entering at least three battles, you'll get a free Venusaur gift. Be sure to check out Venusaur on our PokéDex.
• Japan Championships: Top players in Japan will also gain access to the qualifier to the PJCS qualifier, which will let them get a shot at the World Championships.

Source: Serebii.net