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When does Pokémon Champions Season M-3 start, and what can we expect?

A new regulation and the possibility of new Pokémon await.

A Pokémon Champions logo with a textured overlay.
Credit: One More Catch (via The Pokémon Company)

Season M-3 should mark the biggest change to Pokémon Champions since the game launched back in early April.

Due mid-June, it'll usher in a new Regulation Set - changing which Pokémon are eligible in Ranked Play - and the possibility of new creature additions, too.

And with each season's short timeframe, it's not that far away. This guide explains the Pokémon Champions Season M-3 release date, and what we can expect.


Pokémon Champions Season M-3 release date

Pokémon Champions Season M-3 has a release date of Wednesday, 17th June, 2026, with downtime for the season starting at 2:00 UTC, which is the following times in Europe and the Americas:

  • BST (UK): 3am (Wednesday, 17th)
  • CEST (Western Europe): 4am (Wednesday, 17th)
  • EDT (East Coast Americas): 10pm (Tuesday, 16th June)
  • PDT (West Coast Americas): 7pm (Tuesday, 16th June)

Downtime takes a couple of hours, going by Season M-2, though the more significant changes to Season M-3 means we could be waiting longer. Either way, I suspect Season M-3 will launch within three hours of the above times.


What can we expect from Pokémon Champions Season M-3?

A lot about Season M-3 is up in the air, but there are some definitives and some hints of what we could expect. Let's go through them one-by-one.

  • Ranked Battles will switch to Regulation Set M-B, meaning a refresh of the eligible Pokémon you can use
  • The chance that new Pokémon "may be added". This wording is from an official infographic explaining how seasons work, and means the developer is not committing to new additions to the Pokémon Champions roster just yet - but it is possible:
A Pokémon Champions infographic showing what's changing in Regulation Sets M-A and M-B.
Credit: The Pokémon Company

As well as the above, an interview with producer Masaaki Hoshino with Gamerbraves hints at new features coming to the game in the near future - including the possibility of unevolved Pokémon, new arenas and custom tournaments. Whether some of these will roll out with Season M-3 or not is unknown, but know they are likely on the roadmap, alongside the release of a mobile version.


In the meantime, if you're interested in what's new in Season M-2, we have our own patch notes and a list of M-2 Battle Pass rewards to read.

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Matthew Reynolds

Matthew Reynolds

Matthew Reynolds is founder and editor of One More Catch, and has covered Pokémon Go since day one. An award-winning games journalist based in the UK, he has written for Polygon, Eurogamer, Digital Spy, The Guardian, and Retro Gamer magazine.

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