Pokémon Presents reveals new puzzle game Pokémon Friends, a 2026 release window for Pokémon Champions, and shares new details on Pokémon Z-A
- The latest Pokémon Presents has offered new details about Pokémon Legends: Z-A and other upcoming Pokémon games
- Pokémon Friends has been announced and is now available for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, iOS, and Android devices
- Pokémon Champions has been confirmed for a 2026 release
The Pokémon Company has unveiled a deluge of new information about several of its upcoming games, while also announcing a new title, Pokémon Friends.
Revealed during the July 22 Pokémon Presents, Pokémon Friends is now available on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, iOS, and Android devices.
It’s a puzzle-solving game featuring a series of randomly generated brainteasers that can be completed daily to earn Pokémon plushies, which can then be used to decorate your in-game rooms.
“Unwind with puzzles in Pokémon Friends! Solve sets of three randomly selected puzzles to help untangle your mind – then place the yarn you obtain into the Plush-O-Matic, a special machine that creates in-game Pokémon plush!” the game description reads.
“As you try to make them all, you can track your crafted plush in the catalogue. You can also mark your calendar with a stamp each day you play.”
The game features over 1,200 puzzles that were each inspired by the world of Pokémon. Trainers can also complete friend quests, track daily progress with stamps in their calendar, and collect up to 150 different plushies.
Pokémon Friends is free on mobile, but the game is priced at $15.99 on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. There’s also a $53.99 version called the Pokémon Friends Combo Bundle that bundles together the base game and two Puzzle On! packs.
Alongside the new game announcement, new details were also shared about Pokémon Champions, which is now confirmed to be arriving in 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, iOS, and Android devices.
In this game, players can recruit Pokémon to their team and battle other Trainers in three game modes: Casual Battles, Ranked Battles with players around the world, and Private Battles that can be played with family and friends.
A core feature of Champions is Trial Recruitment, which allows players to try out Pokémon and test strategies for a limited time.
There’s also a Permanent Recruitment that lets players keep Pokémon by using Victory Points (VP), which are gained through various methods such as Ranked Battles. Players can also use VP to train Pokémon according to their own preferences, including altering their stats and Abilities.
Finally, we also learned fresh details about the next major mainline Pokémon game ahead of its official release later this year, Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
In an extended gameplay trailer, developer Game Freak offered an in-depth look at the game’s explorable setting, Lumiose City. During the day, players can explore and find Pokémon to capture in wild zones, where they may encounter stronger, more powerful wild Pokémon dubbed alpha Pokémon.
Meanwhile, at night, players can compete in the Z-A Royale and climb the ranks by battling other Trainers, including Corbeau, the boss of Rust Syndicate, an organisation operating in Lumiose City.
New NPCs were also introduced, including Emma, a detective who asks the player to track down missing Pokémon, items, and take part in battles, and Mable, the acting director of Pokémon Research Lab, who is researching the habits and reasons behind the growing population of Pokémon.
When players arrive in Lumiose City, they’ll be asked by Urbain or Taunie to join Team MZ, a crew dedicated to keeping Lumiose City a peaceful place. They can then go on to explore the city, change and customize their appearance and outfits, and earn rewards by completing tasks.
Mega Evolutions is another thing the latest trailer explored. Although we have previously been teased for this new system, Game Freak offered a new look at Mega Dragonite, a newly discovered Mega-Evolved Pokémon.
It will be up to the player and Team MZ to investigate Mega Evolutions, battle, and calm a variety of Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon, and in exchange, obtain Mega Stones as rewards.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A launches on October 16, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live, along with the newly announced Switch 2 bundles.
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