The Pokémon Company has announced a unique new event: the Champion of Champions tournament. The competition will bring together eight champions from entirely different walks of life—including world-class pillow fighting and pizza acrobatics—to duke it out in Pokémon Champions.
The stakes? The ultimate winner will secure an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2027 Pokémon World Championships alongside a charitable donation made in their name to a cause of their choice.
The Competitors & The Coach
While the final location of the 2027 World Championships remains under wraps (expected to be revealed at this year's event), The Pokémon Company has unmasked the first four eclectic competitors:
-
Ayna Ziordia Botella – Whistling Champion
-
Nicola Matarazzo – Pizza Acrobatics Champion
-
Leandro Silva – Pillow Fighting Champion
-
Denis Kwan Hong-Wang – "Doing Nothing" Champion
To get these unconventional competitors up to speed, they will be coached by none other than Ray Rizzo. As a three-time Pokémon VGC World Champion, Rizzo is widely celebrated as one of the greatest competitive Pokémon players of all time.
Tournament Details & A New Era for VGC
The grand finale of the Champion of Champions tournament is scheduled to stream across official Pokémon social media channels on July 29.
This event serves as a high-profile showcase for Pokémon Champions, which launched earlier this year on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Officially succeeding the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet era, Pokémon Champions has taken over as the definitive title for the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC).
The new game is set to make its official World Championships debut later this summer at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships and PokémonXP, taking place from August 28–30 in San Francisco, California. Attendees can also look forward to exclusive event promo cards and limited-edition merchandise at the annual pop-up Pokémon Center.
What We Know So Far
The Pokémon Works confirmed that the game is being built for Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, with improved visuals, new mechanics, and environments designed around the storybook theme.
We wanted to create a world that feels like stepping into a storybook — full of wonder, surprises, and discovery around every corner.
— The Pokémon Works
Related Game
Pokémon Champions
Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch · The Pokémon Works · Fighting, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy
View Game
