Pokémon Champions is releasing on Nintendo Switch consoles in early April, but its "free-to-start" package raises some questions about its pricing model

Pokémon Champions launches April 8 on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 as a free-to-start title, with a mobile release to follow. Its monetization layers — Battle Pass, Starter Pack, Champions Membership, plus a required Pokémon Home Premium plan — stack costs that complicate the "free" pitch. 💸

Appeared in 2026-03-26.