The Pokémon Company has kicked off 2026 with major momentum following announcements from the 30th anniversary Pokémon Day livestream, including news of a special free reward for the upcoming Pokémon Champions.
Pokémon Champions is the next mobile title joining the long list of free-to-play games released by The Pokémon Company over the past decade. The game will be available on Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms, and will link with the rest of the franchise through Pokémon Home.
Pokémon Champions focuses on a battle system designed to appeal to long-time fans, bringing back classic turn-based combat rather than the MOBA or real-time styles seen in more recent entries.
To celebrate the reveals made during the 30th Anniversary broadcast, players can claim a highly valuable launch bonus for the game — and all it requires is starting the game once it becomes available.
Get a Free Mega Dragonite For Pokémon Champions
According to the official Pokémon Champions social media account, players can receive a free Dragonite along with its Mega Stone by playing Pokémon Champions before August 31, 2026, as part of an early download reward.
Pokémon Champions is currently scheduled to release in April 2026, though an exact launch date has not yet been confirmed. Even so, excitement around the title is already building, with many fans eager to jump into the new battle-focused experience.
At this stage, little is known about how the full gameplay loop will function, despite the game being close to launch. Many of its features and systems are expected to remain under wraps until it officially arrives on mobile storefronts and the Nintendo eShop.
Still, Pokémon Champions stands out as an exciting addition to the growing lineup of free-to-play Pokémon games and could give fans a new way to battle and connect with trainers worldwide.
While waiting for Pokémon Champions, players can revisit Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen, or look forward to the upcoming Pokopia, which is set to launch on March 5, 2026.
