Recent leaks surrounding Pokémon Champions, the upcoming strategy battle game featuring the beloved franchise’s iconic collectible monsters, have gained credibility following the July 2025 Pokémon Presents showcase. Although much remains undisclosed about the game, the recent updates have amplified fan interest, making several earlier rumors appear increasingly plausible. Introduced in February, Pokémon Champions is described as a spin-off that specifically emphasizes the franchise’s turn-based monster battles. The initial trailer highlighted the evolution of two-player Pokémon battles, starting from the classic Game Boy link cable days of the 1990s to contemporary gaming on the Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms.
One notable feature showcased in the trailer is a new mechanic that has never been seen in the series before, sparking considerable speculation about its potential impact on gameplay. Ahead of the July Pokémon Presents, two detailed posts surfaced that made bold assertions about Pokémon Champions. Initially met with skepticism, these posts have gained traction since some of their predictions were validated by the latest trailer. Notably, they indicated that players would accumulate points to level up their Pokémon and that Effort Values (EVs) could be adjusted at any time.
The July 22 trailer demonstrated this mechanic when it showed a player using sliders to adjust a Pokémon’s attributes, confirming the earlier rumors. With this confirmation, the credibility of other claims in the posts has also escalated. These include a potential release date of January 23, 2026, and plans for the game to feature approximately 350 Pokémon at launch. Additionally, although ranked and private battles have been confirmed, the posts hint at a Battle Frontier-style feature providing players with escalating challenges and unique rewards.
Other rumored aspects include dynamic gym leaders and opponents, as well as a single-player campaign with two distinct paths that must be completed sequentially. The posts also mention locked features, such as natures and stronger Pokémon, which will only become accessible through gameplay progression. Furthermore, while the trailer confirmed single and double battles, fans can expect additional formats like triple, rotation, and inverse battles, alongside raids, broadening the gameplay experience.