"Free-to-Start": New Pokémon game announced as free – but nobody knows what that means

Pokémon Champions was unveiled during the Pokémon Presents livestream on February 27. Developed by The Pokémon Company in collaboration with Game Freak, the title aims to evoke nostalgia among fans of Pokémon Stadium. It does away with the RPG aspects of the main series, centering instead on pure turn-based combat with a strong focus on multiplayer and ranked matches. As a new hub for official tournaments, the game will also allow players to transfer Pokémon from other titles via Pokémon HOME.

At the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC), held from August 15 to 17 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the focus extended beyond the matches as new information about Pokémon Champions was revealed. On August 17, The Pokémon Company issued an official statement confirming that the game will launch as a "Free-to-Start" title, settling earlier questions about its business model.

What "Free-to-Start" actually entails in this case remains unclear. The press release also mentions a "Paid Digital Version," though The Pokémon Company has yet to clarify how it differs from the free edition. The free version could turn out to be little more than a demo, or the paid version might simply unlock additional features such as ranked battles or access to tournament events.

Pokémon Champions has no official release date yet, but it is already slated for use in competitive play at VGC 2026. To give players sufficient time to prepare, an earlier launch appears likely. The game is planned for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 as well as iOS and Android.