Pokémon Champions launches on iOS and Android with free Raichu bonus

Pokémon Champions just got a much bigger entry ramp for anyone eyeing the battle scene. The June 17 mobile launch put the game on iOS and Android at no cost, turning what had already been a cross-platform release on Switch and Switch 2 into something far easier to jump into on the go.

The timing matters because the mobile version arrived with a limited-time mailbox reward that does more than decorate a collection. Players who log in between June 17 and September 2 can claim Raichu along with the Raichunite X and Raichunite Y Mega Stones, a package that gives early users a real reason to start experimenting with team building right away. The stones let Raichu evolve into Mega Raichu X or Mega Raichu Y, which makes the gift relevant to battle prep instead of just being a novelty. The same bonus can also be redeemed in the Nintendo Switch version.

The move fits the way The Pokémon Company International has framed Champions from the start: as a battle-focused game built around familiar mechanics like Pokémon types, Abilities and moves. Pokémon.com says the mobile version supports cross-platform play, so mobile users can battle players on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 instead of being siloed off into a separate ecosystem. Save data also carries over to mobile if players link the same Nintendo Account, which lowers the friction for anyone already invested on console.

That connected structure matters even more because Champions is already tied to the franchise’s official competitive pipeline. Pokémon Video Game Championships battles are set to take place in Pokémon Champions at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, with future Championship Series events also planned for the game. In other words, this is not just another mobile spin-off parked on the sidelines. It is being positioned as part of the road to sanctioned play.

Champions first launched on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, and pre-registration for mobile opened earlier this month through the App Store and Google Play. The new iOS and Android release widens the funnel, but the free Raichu bundle is the sharper competitive hook: it gives new players a fast way to get in, test the battle systems and start thinking like the day-one metagame has already begun.