Pokémon Champions Offers Indian Players A Chance To Compete In 2027 Pokémon World Championships.

New Delhi, Delhi, 24th of September, 2026 : Pokemon Champions, the battle-focused strategy game by Pokemon now presents a competitive pathway for Trainers in India through the recently announced “Pokémon Champions India Series 2027 Season”, giving players across the country a route from in-game competition all the way to the “2027 Pokémon World Championships”.

Beginning with Global Challenges inside Pokémon Champions, India’s top-performing Trainers will have the opportunity to advance through an Online Qualifier and offline Grand Finals to compete for a place on the world stage.

Susumu Fukunaga, Corporate Officer at The Pokémon Company said, “Pokémon’s mainstream battle games could so far be played only on gaming consoles officially unavailable for sale in India, which resulted in limited opportunity for players in the country to enjoy turn-based Pokémon battle games that are the core of Pokémon and advance to global competitions. Pokémon Champions is a cross-platform game, which is also available on mobile devices, and it features as the VGC category of Pokémon World Championships. We are delighted that this game opens up greater possibilities for Indian Pokémon fans to turn their passion into a dream to represent their country on the global stage. We invite all Pokémon lovers and gamers in India to battle it out in Pokémon Champions India Series and take on the world at 2027 Pokémon World Championships”.

India region added to Pokémon Champions

As part of the new pathway, India is now available as a standalone region in Pokémon Champions.

Trainers looking to compete through the Indian qualification pathway “Pokémon Champions: Championship Series 2027 Season” will need to select India as their region before participating in the in-game Global Challenges. Matches will follow the rules of the in-game Ranked Battles, giving players a familiar competitive format as they begin their journey.

Players must ensure that they set the “region” in their game as “India” to be able to participate in the Global Challenges leading to “2027 Pokémon Champions India Series”. Players who have been playing the game already using a different region setting would be required to change their setting to be eligible.

Indian players’ pathway to the 2027 Pokémon World Championships

Players in India will be required to first battle through the in-game Global Challenge, and then through the 2027 Pokémon Champions India Series, comprising an Online Qualifier and offline Grand Finals, to claim their spot as a representative of the country to compete in 2027 Pokémon World Championships.

• Global Challenge
  • Six in-game Global Challenges will take place between September 2026 and April 2027.
  • Each Global Challenge allows players to participate in one of three age divisions.
  • The top 30 eligible Indian players from each age division in each Global Challenge will advance to the next level.
  • With six Global Challenges, a total of 540 players will proceed to the Online Qualifier.

• 2027 Pokémon Champions India Series: Online Qualifier
  • The Online Qualifier is scheduled to be held in May 2027 after all six Global Challenges have concluded.
  • Dates of the Online Qualifier and the number of players to advance to the offline Grand Finals will be announced at a later date. Travel support will be provided to players who advance to the offline Grand Finals. Details will be shared with the players who qualify.

• 2027 Pokémon Champions India Series: Grand Finals
  • The strongest performers from the Online Qualifier will advance to the offline Grand Finals.
  • Scheduled for June 2027, the Grand Finals will bring together India’s leading Pokémon Champions players to compete for the top positions and invitations to 2027 Pokémon World Championships in Singapore.
  • The date and place of the Grand Finals, and number of players to receive invitations to the World Championships will be announced at a later date. Travel support will be provided to players who advance to the 2027 Worlds. Details will be shared with the players who qualify.

Global Challenge I kicks off this September

The first opportunity for Indian Trainers to begin their journey arrives this month.

Registration for Global Challenge I opened on September 18, 2026, before the competition taking place from September 25 to 28, 2026.

For players looking to enter the pathway, the process begins inside Pokémon Champions. Trainers must select India as their region, register for the Global Challenge during the registration period, and compete in the in-game event under Ranked Battles rules. India-based players who previously selected a different region must change their region setting to India.

Further updates & detailed information will be announced at a later date. Please follow the official Instagram (@_pokemonofficialindia) and check the official Pokémon website in India (http://in.portal-pokemon.com/topics/pokemonchampions_championshipseries2027/) for future announcements.

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What is Pokémon Champions?
Pokémon Champions is a cross-platform, battle-focused game that features mechanics such as Pokémon types, Abilities, and moves, creating an environment conducive to rich and varied
strategies for new and experienced Trainers alike. Learn more here. .

What is the Pokémon World Championships?
Pokémon World Championships is global Pokémon event that includes invite-only competitions gathering the best Trainers from around the world. Qualifying players from the India Series Grand Finals will earn invitations to compete on this global stage in the Video Game Championships (VGC) category. The next Pokémon World Championships will be held in Singapore from August 13 to 15, 2027.

Susumu Fukunaga – Corporate Officer

Joined The Pokémon Company in 2000 as part of the founding team. After working in the trading card game business, film and event production, as well as sales and other business units, he now leads the content business and brand management in Asia and India as a corporate officer. He also oversees group companies Pokémon Singapore Pte. Ltd. and Pokémon Taiwan Co., Ltd.