With the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco now in the books, The Pokémon Company President Tsunekazu Ishihara took to the stage at the closing ceremony to drop a ton of huge announcements for the franchise. On top of revealing next year's World Championships location, we got fresh intel on a new animated movie, *Pokémon Champions*, *Pokémon GO*, and *Pokémon UNITE*.
▌2027 World Championships Moves to Singapore
Get ready, Trainers—the 2027 Pokémon World Championships will be held from August 13 to 15 in Singapore. This marks the event's return to Asia four years after its 2023 stop in Yokohama, Japan. The competition will feature the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the video games, and *Pokémon GO*, with more details on the venue and activities to be announced later.
▌All-New TCG Animated Movie Arriving After Seven Years
The Pokémon Company has confirmed a new animated film, *Pokémon Wild Card*, set for release in 2027, marking the first new movie for the series in seven years. The initial teaser reveals a Pokémon TCG player and a figure that appears to be Mimikyu. The story and official release date are still under wraps.
▌"Pokémon Champions" Adds Z-Mega Evolution
*Pokémon Champions* will introduce Regulation Set M-C on September 9, 2026 (JST). It's been confirmed that Rillaboom and Baxcalibur will be added, along with "Mega Absol Z," "Mega Lucario Z," and "Mega Garchomp Z."
Mega Absol Z will have the "Sharpness" ability, while Mega Lucario Z gets a brand-new ability called "Aura Guard," which halves damage received from contact moves. Mega Garchomp Z's ability will be "Levitate."
Additionally, the trailer ended with a surprise appearance by "Mega Heatran," though it's not yet confirmed if it will be usable in Regulation Set M-C. The official website states that all Pokémon available in Regulation M-B will carry over to M-C. The complete list of usable Pokémon, new items, and other rule details are expected to be revealed when M-C officially goes live.
▌New Pokémon TCG Series Unveiled
A new series for the Pokémon Trading Card Game was also announced, featuring the Legendary Pokémon Suicune, Raikou, and Entei. It will also introduce a new card type: "Mega Attack Rare."
▌Armored Mewtwo Returns to "Pokémon GO"
In conjunction with the Pokémon GO Fest 2026 Mega Finale, eligible Mega Evolved Pokémon will gain access to an additional special move. It was also confirmed that "Armored Mewtwo" will return to the game for the first time in six years.
▌"Pokémon UNITE" Completes the Eeveelution Lineup
*Pokémon UNITE* announced that Morpeko will join the roster on September 4, followed by Toxtricity on September 24. Jolteon and Flareon are scheduled for an October release. With these final two additions, all eight Eeveelutions will be playable characters.
Furthermore, this year will be the last time *Pokémon UNITE* is included as an official event at the World Championships. Starting in 2027, it will have its own standalone tournament, the "Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo," tentatively scheduled for late March 2027.
▌PokémonXP Reveals New Animation and Wearable Tech
The concurrent PokémonXP event also featured the debut trailer for *Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu*, confirming the work will be exclusively broadcast on Disney+ and Disney XD.
Google also announced the "Fitbit Air Special Edition Pokémon Sleep" as part of the Pokémon 30th-anniversary project. This screenless wearable comes in a "Sleepy Blue" color with a sleeping Pikachu design on the band. It can sync with Android's Health Connect and iOS's Apple Health to record nighttime sleep stages and daytime rest, feeding the data into *Pokémon Sleep*. This data is used to calculate the game's "Drowsy Power," strengthen your Snorlax, and unlock rare Pokémon sleep styles.
The device will be priced at $129 and is scheduled for release on September 15, 2026, in select markets including the US and Japan. Ishihara also teased that the company will continue to explore how to further integrate Pokémon with wearable technology in the future.
