Every Pokemon Champions patch note in one place. As of June 11, 2026, the game has seen two Switch versions (1.0.2 at launch and 1.0.3 on April 22-23) plus a large batch of base-game balance changes that shipped with the game itself — PP reductions, status nerfs, and move reworks that define the current competitive meta. The mobile release on June 17 brings Regulation Set M-B, Mega Raichu X and Y, and Ranked Season M-3. This hub refreshes every patch.
Last verified: June 11, 2026
Version History at a Glance
| Version | Release Date | Platforms | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.2 | April 7-8, 2026 | Switch / Switch 2 | Launch version — enhanced visual performance |
| 1.0.3 | April 22-23, 2026 | Switch / Switch 2 | First post-launch patch — bug fixes, mandatory for online |
| Mobile launch | June 17, 2026 | iOS / Android | Cross-platform release + Regulation M-B + Mega Raichu |
Version 1.0.2 — Launch Day (April 7-8, 2026)
Pokemon Champions launched on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, 2026 (April 7 in North America). Version 1.0.2 was the initial eShop download version at launch, described officially as delivering “enhanced visual performance.”
No detailed official patch notes were published for 1.0.2. The competitive changes that define the game — status condition overhauls, PP reductions, move buffs and nerfs — were all present in the base game from day one, not added via this update. They are documented separately in the sections below.
Version 1.0.3 — April 22-23, 2026 (Mandatory for Online)
Version 1.0.3 is the first post-launch patch with documented official notes. It is mandatory for online play. Players who skip this update cannot enter ranked or casual online battles.
Bug Fixes in 1.0.3
| Bug | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Leech Seed in-game description was incorrect | Description corrected |
| Gender displayed for certain Pokemon in the tutorial was incorrect | Now displays correctly |
| Players could not select a move when moving the cursor over Mega Evolution while viewing move details and pressing B Button | Fixed — move selection now works correctly |
| Unnerve ability failed to prevent certain Pokemon from eating Berries in some cases | Ability now reliably blocks Berry consumption |
| Speed changes caused by held items were not reflected in the order that abilities activate | Priority calculation now accounts for held-item Speed modifications |
| Certain networking and visual appearance issues during battles | Addressed |
Why 1.0.3 Matters for Ranked
The Unnerve and Speed-order fixes are the two with real competitive weight. Unnerve’s Berry-blocking is central to counterplay against Aguav, Sitrus, and Weakness Policy users — having it misfire in live games was significant. The Speed-order bug had downstream consequences for any interaction where held items (like Choice Scarf) change who moves first and therefore which abilities trigger in sequence.
The Mega Evolution cursor fix is a quality-of-life correction: pressing B to exit move details while hovering Mega Evolution could freeze your ability to select any move that turn. In a 45-second turn timer environment, that was a real threat to match outcomes.
Base Game Balance: Status Conditions Overhauled
These changes shipped with the game at launch and are not tied to a specific post-launch patch number. They represent Game Freak’s biggest rethink of status conditions since Generation 9.
Paralysis
Paralysis still halves the affected Pokemon’s Speed. However, the chance of full immobilization drops from 25% to 12.5% per turn. Para-hax is now half as likely to swing a game, which lowers the risk ceiling on Thunderbolt and Body Slam spreaders.
Sleep
Sleep now caps at 3 turns maximum. The affected Pokemon has a 33.3% chance of waking on turn 2 and is guaranteed to wake on turn 3. Moves like Spore and Sleep Powder still shut a Pokemon down, but the era of losing a Pokemon for five or six turns to sleep is over. This has significant implications for Amoonguss, which remains a strong support pick but no longer offers the same threat extension it once did.
Freeze
Freeze now carries a 25% thaw chance each turn and is guaranteed to auto-thaw by the third turn after being frozen. Freeze-Dry additionally lost its ability to freeze targets entirely (see Move Nerfs section). Freeze is still annoying but is no longer a match-ender when it lands.
Base Game Balance: Move Changes
This is the largest category of balance adjustments. The table below covers every verified move change.
Move Nerfs
| Move | Change |
|---|---|
| Freeze-Dry | Can no longer freeze targets |
| Moonblast | Special Attack drop chance: 30% → 10% |
| Iron Head | Flinch chance: 30% → 20% |
| Salt Cure | Per-turn damage: 1/8 → 1/16 HP (1/4 → 1/8 for Water/Steel types) |
| Fake Out | Can only be selected on the user’s first turn in battle or after switching in |
The Fake Out restriction is the most meta-defining change on this list. Incineroar’s entire identity in VGC has revolved around chip-and-redirect support — Fake Out flinch into Parting Shot. The move still works exactly as before on the turn it is available. The new restriction simply prevents players from accidentally (or strategically) choosing it on later turns, where it would have failed anyway. In practice this is a UI cleanup rather than a power nerf, but it does remove any accidental late-game Fake Out attempt that previous games would have let you choose before failing.
Salt Cure’s damage reduction is a direct hit to Garganacl teams that leaned on the passive chip to pressure time-outs. Speaking of time: the battle timer now ends matches in a draw instead of resolving by remaining HP percentage. This eliminates the stall incentive that made Salt Cure so oppressive when paired with Protect and passive recovery.
Move Buffs — Base Power Increases
| Move | Old BP | New BP |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Acid | 80 | 90 |
| Beak Blast | 100 | 120 |
| Bone Rush | 25 (per hit) | 30 (per hit) |
| Fire Lash | 80 | 90 |
| First Impression | 90 | 100 |
| Grav Apple | 80 | 90 |
| Infernal Parade | 60 | 65 |
| Moonblast | 85 | 95 |
| Mountain Gale | 100 | 120 |
| Night Daze | 85 | 90 |
| Psyshield Bash | 70 | 90 |
| Spirit Shackle | 80 | 90 |
| Trop Kick | 70 | 85 |
First Impression reaching 100 BP makes it one of the strongest priority moves in the game, reinforcing the value of fast physical attackers that can threaten leads. Mountain Gale and Beak Blast both jumping to 120 BP elevates Mamoswine and Blaziken lines respectively — check the Pokemon Champions tier list once M-B drops for updated rankings.
Other Move Changes
| Move | Change |
|---|---|
| Dire Claw | Status condition application chance buffed: 30% → 50%; now classified as a slicing move |
| Toxic Thread | Speed drop increased: -1 stage → -2 stages |
| Crabhammer | Accuracy increased: 90 → 95 |
| Poltergeist | Now works on Pokemon holding Mega Stones |
| Dragon Claw | Now classified as a slicing move (benefits from Sharpness ability) |
| Shadow Claw | Now classified as a slicing move (benefits from Sharpness ability) |
| Crush Claw | Now classified as a slicing move (benefits from Sharpness ability) |
| Growth | Type changed from Normal to Grass |
| Snap Trap | Type changed from Grass to Steel |
Dragon Claw and Shadow Claw gaining slicing classification means Kartana, Gallade, and any Sharpness user now has Ghost and Dragon coverage options that benefit from the 50% damage bonus. This is a quiet but significant buff to Sharpness-based builds.
Base Game Balance: Ability Changes
Unseen Fist now deals only 25% (1/4) of normal damage when hitting through protection moves such as Protect, Detect, and King’s Shield, down from full damage. This is a direct nerf to Urshifu — its signature appeal was bypassing protection entirely. It can still punch through Protect, but the damage reward drops sharply. Teams built around Urshifu should account for this when calculating KO thresholds.
For more on how abilities interact with team composition, see the Mega Evolution guide — Mega forms often bring new abilities that interact with the current move pool in ways the base-game nerf list doesn’t immediately suggest.
Base Game Balance: PP Reductions
Game Freak cut PP values across the board. The practical effect is that stall strategies and attrition battles run out of resources faster, and PP-burn harassment from moves like Spite or the Leppa Berry cycle becomes a more meaningful threat.
| Original Max PP | New Max PP |
|---|---|
| 24 PP | 16 PP |
| 16 PP | 12 PP |
| Protect specifically | 16 → 8 PP |
Protect losing half its PP from 16 to 8 is the headline. In long series play or drawn-out team preview maneuvering, Protect spam is now a finite resource you must budget deliberately.
Pokemon-Specific Changes: Who Lost What
The following Pokemon lost access to key moves or had signature options weakened at launch.
| Pokemon | What Changed |
|---|---|
| Incineroar | Lost Knock Off |
| Gengar | Lost Encore |
| Archaludon | Lost valuable moves |
| Kangaskhan | Lost valuable moves |
| Rotom | Lost valuable moves |
| Machamp | Lost valuable moves |
| Blastoise | Lost valuable moves |
| Greninja | Lost valuable moves |
| Milotic | Lost valuable moves |
| Gliscor | Lost valuable moves |
| Garganacl | Lost valuable moves |
| Sneasler | Lost valuable moves or had signature moves weakened |
Incineroar losing Knock Off is the most consequential. Knock Off was its best tool for stripping Berries, Lenses, and Mega Stones off opposing Pokemon — the utility that made it almost mandatory in VGC teams for years. It remains one of the highest-usage Pokemon in Regulation M-A thanks to Fake Out + Parting Shot being irreplaceable, but its raw power ceiling dropped. See the Pokemon Champions best doubles teams guide for how top players are adapting.
Pokemon-Specific Changes: Who Gained Access
The following Pokemon received new moves or regained previously-removed options.
| Pokemon | Gained |
|---|---|
| Mega Blastoise | Move additions |
| Mega Lopunny | Move additions |
| Aegislash | Move additions |
| Armarouge | Move additions |
| Ceruledge | Move additions |
| Charizard | Move additions |
| Tyranitar | Move additions |
| Dragonite | Move additions |
| Sableye | Move additions |
| Sylveon | Move additions |
| Whimsicott | Move additions |
| Hippowdon | Move additions |
| Dragapult | Move additions |
| Scizor | Move additions |
| Drampa | Move additions |
Several of these are Mega-eligible. The Mega Evolution guide tracks which forms gained the most from these additions.
Regulation Set M-A: Competitive Rules (April 8 – June 17, 2026)
Regulation M-A is the first competitive ruleset for Pokemon Champions. It defined the entire launch meta and will be replaced by M-B on June 17.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Double Battles |
| Level | Auto-level 50 |
| Team selection | 4 of 6 Pokemon shown in preview |
| Game timer | 20 minutes |
| Player timer | 7 minutes |
| Turn timer | 45 seconds |
| Preview phase | 90 seconds |
| Mega Evolution | Enabled — once per battle |
| Species Clause | Active |
| Item Clause | Active |
| Legendaries / Restricted | Not allowed |
| Eligible Pokemon | 186 spanning generations 1-9, including Alolan, Galarian, Hisuian, and Paldean variants; 59 Mega-capable |
The Play! Pokemon competitive circuit transitioned to Pokemon Champions as its exclusive platform starting April 2026. The Malaysia Master Ball League (May 9-10, 2026) was the first live Championship Series event to use the game; the Indianapolis Regional Championship (May 29-31, 2026) was the first major North American event. For a deeper breakdown of ranked structure and seasonal progression, see the ranked system explainer.
What’s Coming June 17: Mobile Launch + M-B + Mega Raichu
The June 17 mobile launch on iOS and Android is the biggest content drop since launch. Three things happen simultaneously:
1. Regulation Set M-B launches. Ranked Battles Season M-3 begins. Full M-B ruleset details were not officially confirmed as of June 11, 2026. The roster is expected to expand beyond the 186 Pokemon (including 59 Mega-capable forms) available at M-A launch.
2. Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y debut in Pokemon Champions.
| Form | Ability | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Raichu X | Electric Surge | Sets Electric Terrain for 5 turns on entry; grounded Pokemon get +30% Electric-type move power and cannot fall asleep |
| Mega Raichu Y | No Guard | All moves used by or against it hit with 100% accuracy |
Both Mega Raichunite items (Raichunite X and Raichunite Y) are available as a free distribution through September 1, 2026. All players — Switch and mobile — can claim a Raichu, Raichunite X, and Raichunite Y via the in-game mailbox starting June 17. The Mega Stones will become available via in-game shop or other features at a later date. For full distribution details, check the Mystery Gift codes tracker.
3. Cross-platform play is fully live. Nintendo Switch and mobile players share the same ranked ladder. Save data carries over when the same Nintendo Account is linked to both devices. For setup details, see the crossplay and cross-save guide.
How These Changes Shape the Current Meta
A few through-lines connect all the balance decisions above:
Status conditions are less swingy. Halving paralysis freeze chance, capping sleep at 3 turns, and limiting freeze to 3 turns maximum means fewer games end because of a lucky status proc. Skill expression at the teambuilding and positioning level matters more than it did in previous competitive Pokemon formats.
PP is now a genuine resource. Protect at 8 PP and most moves capped lower means teams that relied on passive attrition need to account for running out. Leppa Berry and PP-restoration strategies become slightly more relevant; mindless Protect cycling is riskier in longer series.
Draw timer rules out HP-stall. The battle timer now ending in a draw removes the incentive to play for time advantage via HP. Salt Cure’s nerf from 1/8 to 1/16 HP per turn compounds this: Garganacl’s passive damage math no longer pays off the same way when its best-case outcome is a draw rather than a win.
Sharpness builds gained two new coverage options. Dragon Claw and Shadow Claw becoming slicing moves opens Ghost and Dragon damage pathways for Kartana, Gallade, and any other Sharpness user — without requiring a new Pokemon entirely.
For how all of this feeds into current team-building, the team builder guide walks through the full process from concept to finished squad.
FAQ
What was the first post-launch patch for Pokemon Champions? Version 1.0.3, released April 22-23, 2026. It fixed the Leech Seed description, a gender display bug in the tutorial, a Mega Evolution cursor issue, the Unnerve ability, and speed-order calculation for held items. It is mandatory for online play.
What is version 1.0.2 in Pokemon Champions? Version 1.0.2 was the initial eShop download version available at launch (April 7-8, 2026). It delivered enhanced visual performance. No detailed official patch notes were published for it.
Did paralysis get nerfed in Pokemon Champions? Paralysis still halves Speed but now only immobilizes at a 12.5% rate per turn, down from 25% in previous games. This is a base game change present at launch, not a post-launch patch.
How does Sleep work in Pokemon Champions? Sleep now caps at 3 turns maximum. There is a 33.3% chance of waking on turn 2 and a guaranteed wake on turn 3. This limits Sleep’s impact compared to older games where it could last much longer.
What happened to Fake Out in Pokemon Champions? Fake Out can no longer be selected unless it is the user’s first turn in battle or they just switched back in. The game blocks the move from being chosen outside its activation window.
Did Incineroar lose any moves in Pokemon Champions? Yes. Incineroar lost access to Knock Off in Pokemon Champions. It remains one of the most-used Pokemon in Regulation M-A, relying on Fake Out, Parting Shot, Flare Blitz, and Darkest Lariat for its support role.
Is version 1.0.3 required to play online? Yes. Version 1.0.3 is mandatory for online play in Pokemon Champions. Players who have not updated cannot access ranked or casual online battles.
What are the Regulation Set M-A rules in Pokemon Champions? Regulation M-A uses Double Battles at auto-level 50, with 4-of-6 Pokemon selection. The game timer is 20 minutes, player timer 7 minutes, turn timer 45 seconds, and preview 90 seconds. Mega Evolution is allowed once per battle. No Legendaries or Restricted Pokemon. Active April 8 to June 17, 2026.
When does Regulation Set M-B start? Regulation Set M-B launches on June 17, 2026, alongside the mobile release and Ranked Battles Season M-3. Full ruleset details had not been officially confirmed as of June 11, 2026.
What is the Mega Raichu distribution in Pokemon Champions? From June 17 to September 1, 2026, all players on Switch and mobile can claim a free Raichu, Raichunite X, and Raichunite Y via the in-game mailbox. Mega Raichu X has Electric Surge; Mega Raichu Y has No Guard.
