Competitive Pokemon battles officially began in 2008, and the first World Championships were held in 2009. From the start, each year’s competition has featured the latest Pokemon game—most recently, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Over time, the games also added ranked online battle systems, allowing players to practice and improve their competitive strategies. However, these in-game ranked battles may soon be discontinued.
Today, April 1st, kicks off the last ranked battle season for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This marks the end of official competitive seasons for these games, which have been the main focus for ranked play since they came out in 2022. Ranked battles will continue in Pokémon Legends: Z-A for now, at least through Season 9, ending around April 23rd. However, with the upcoming release of Pokémon Champions, this final season in Scarlet and Violet could be a particularly significant end to an era.
With Pokemon Champions on the Way, Winds and Waves Could Leave Ranked Battles Behind
Today signals the beginning of the end for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. With its final ranked battle season starting, the game will likely receive fewer updates as support winds down, especially with Pokemon Winds and Waves coming soon. This could also be the last time a main Pokemon game features ranked competitive play in the way we’re used to.
The new game, Pokemon Champions, will launch on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on April 8th, with a mobile version coming later. It’s designed to be the primary game for competitive Pokemon battling. This means official Pokemon VGC tournaments will now be played in Pokemon Champions instead of the traditional main series games. This is a significant change, as the main series games have always been used for official competition since VGC began. This shift could also affect how ranked battles work in future main series Pokemon games.
Competitive battling in the main Pokémon games is a more recent development than the Video Game Championships (VGC). Consistent online competition wasn’t always readily available, but with Pokémon Sword and Shield, players gained the ability to participate in ranked battles within the core games. Now that official competitions are shifting away from the main series, it’s uncertain whether Pokémon Winds and Waves will include ranked battles again.
Details are still scarce about Winds and Waves, the next Pokémon game planned for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. The Pokémon Company hasn’t said whether the game will include a seasonal ranked battle system, and they haven’t ruled it out either. This means today might mark the end of seasonal ranked battles, not just in Scarlet and Violet, but potentially in all future main series Pokémon games.
The current season in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Season 41) began on April 1st and will continue until the game’s online services are discontinued. You can find details about the rules and which Pokemon are allowed on the Serebii website. This is the final season, so there won’t be any more monthly updates or rewards.
Disappointed to see updates for ranked battles in Scarlet and Violet coming to a close? Share your thoughts and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-04-01 16:40