| Event | 2026 Global Challenge |
|---|---|
| Location | Online |
| Date | 1ā4 May 2026 |
| Capacity | Unlimited |
| Videogame | PokƩmon Champions |
| Season | 2026 SeasonĀ āĀ VGC Regulation Set M-A |
| Format | In-game ladder competition |
| Organizer | The PokƩmon Company (TPC) The PokƩmon Company International (TPCi) PokƩmon Korea (PKI) |
Table of Contents
Sign-up instructions
Sign-ups for the event are done through your own PokĆ©mon ChampionsĀ game. To register, enter Battle ā Online competitions.
Sign-ups are open from 24 April at 02:00 UTCĀ until 4 May at 01:59 UTC, when the tournament finishes.
You will need to register and lock a team at the time of registration; however, if you want to make any changes, you can cancel the registration and lock a new team again up until the time the tournament starts, on 1 May at 02:00 UTC. If you register after this time, you will not be able to cancel registration.
Platform and schedule
The tournament is held online, in your PokĆ©mon Champions game, in Battle ā Online competitionsĀ (TBC).
The tournament starts on 1 May at 02:00 UTC. You will be able to enter any battle until 4 May at 01:59 UTC.
Prizes
This event is an official Online Competition, and is part of theĀ 2026 official circuitĀ in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
As a participation prize, any player that finishes at least three battles will receive a VenusaurĀ in PokĆ©mon Champions.
Players are warned that only one user can participate per Nintendo account. Playing with more than one user may result in penalties.
Japan
In Japan, the top 640 players qualify to theĀ 2026 JCS Qualifier. Only players that have configured their Online Competition settings to Japan are counted towards this purpose.
Korea
In South Korea, the top 64 players qualify to theĀ 2026 Trainers Cup (PTC). Only players that have configured their Online Competition settings to South Korea are counted towards this purpose.
Taiwan
In Taiwan, if sign-ups to theĀ 2026 Taiwan Master Ball LeagueĀ exceed capacity, the top playersĀ in the Global Challenge are given priority in the registration lottery. Only players that have configured their online competition settings to Taiwan and are pre-registered for the Master Ball League are counted towards this purpose.
TPCi regions
Despite Global Challenges typically awarding Championship Points to the best-performing players in North America, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, andĀ Middle East & South Africa, this particular instance of the online competitionĀ does not reward Championship Points (CPs).
Overview
The 2026 Global ChallengeĀ is an official Online Competition featuring double battles. It is the 2nd online competition in PokĆ©mon ChampionsĀ and the 1st to belong to the official VGC circuit in the 2026 season.
It is played withĀ VGC Regulation Set M-A.
A little bit of history
Online Competitions are usually a part of the casual gameplay, but they have been featured in the official circuit for some years now. They are one of the few tournaments in which all world regions play together, and it generally grants National invites in TPC & PKI regions and Championship Points in TPCi regions.
The most recent Global Challenge was theĀ 2025Ā Global Challenge IV, played in April 2025 in PokĆ©mon Scarlet and PokĆ©mon Violet with the VGC Regulation Set G. First place was earned by 3-time Global & Grand Challenge Champion Joji Kaieda, who earned a rating of 1840 and 170 Championship Points. Joji beat fellow Japanese player Ne, who earned a rating of 1829 and an invite to the JCS Main Tournament.
AmericanĀ James Evans, theĀ 2018 Senior Division World Champion, defeated BrazilianĀ Gabriel AgatiĀ in the NAIC finals.
