Z Mega Evolutions become playable in Pokémon Champions on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. UTC (Tuesday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific) with Regulation Set M-C. On the menu until December 2: Mega Lucario Z, Mega Garchomp Z and Mega Absol Z, three more Mega Evolutions including Mega Salamence, and 24 newly battle-eligible Pokémon. Here is everything that changes, Abilities and typings included.
The Z emblem unveiled mid-stadium, flanked by Mega Garchomp Z and Mega Lucario Z: the image that closed the 2026 World Championships. © The Pokémon Company
When does the Z Mega Evolution update hit Pokémon Champions?
Regulation Set M-C goes live on September 9, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. UTC, which is September 8 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and runs through December 2, 2026 at 1:59 a.m. UTC. Three full months of Ranked Battles, with Z Mega Evolutions allowed in the game for the very first time.
That is why you will see both September 8 and September 9 quoted around the web: same moment, two calendars. North America flips the switch on Tuesday evening, Europe and Japan wake up to it on Wednesday.
The announcement itself goes back to August 30: Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokémon Company, showed the Z Mega Evolution trailer during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships at San Francisco's Chase Center, right before handing the baton to Singapore for 2027. The message is clear: Champions is now the series' competitive home stage, and Regulation Set M-C is its showcase.
What is a Z Mega Evolution?
A Z Mega Evolution is a second possible Mega Evolution for the same Pokémon, introduced in the Mega Dimension DLC of Pokémon Legends: Z-A in December 2025. Lucario, Garchomp and Absol each received one of these alternate forms, recognizable by the Z in their name, with a different look and sometimes a different typing from their regular Mega.
Mega Lucario Z, slender silhouette and overflowing aura: nothing like the classic Mega Lucario of 2013. © The Pokémon Company
Until now, these forms were confined to Lumiose City and its story mode. Regulation Set M-C brings them into a ranked arena against real opponents for the first time. That is the real event of this update: not just three more silhouettes, but a whole chapter of Z-A joining the competitive side of the franchise.
Lucario has always been a trainer favorite, and not only in Champions: in our workshop, the Lucario LED Pokéball on a wood stand is one of the engravings we pack most often, the aura etched into the crystal looks striking at night.
How good are Mega Lucario Z, Mega Garchomp Z and Mega Absol Z in battle?
Each of the three Z Mega Evolutions arrives with its own Ability, and two of them change type compared to their base form. Mega Lucario Z stays Fighting and Steel, Mega Garchomp Z becomes pure Dragon, Mega Absol Z adds Ghost to its Dark typing.
Mega Lucario Z debuts a brand-new Ability, Aura Guard, which halves the damage it takes from contact moves. The game's X account sets the tone: "Mega Lucario Z gains a significant boost to its physical bulk with the new Aura Guard Ability." A Lucario that actually takes hits is a small revolution for anyone who has played it as a glass cannon since 2013.
Mega Garchomp Z, sharpened scythes and a pure Dragon typing: the double Ice weakness is gone. © The Pokémon Company
Mega Garchomp Z is the most consequential change of the three. By dropping the Ground type, it turns Garchomp's infamous double Ice weakness (4x damage, the nightmare of every Garchomp player since Diamond and Pearl) into a plain 2x. And since its Ability is Levitate, it keeps the immunity to Ground moves while dodging grounded hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes. On paper, one of the sturdiest profiles in the format.
Mega Absol Z trades the white feline look for a dark coat and the Ghost type. © The Pokémon Company
Mega Absol Z, finally, becomes Dark and Ghost, a combination that leaves a single weakness (Fairy) and grants three immunities: Normal, Fighting and Psychic. Its Sharpness Ability boosts the power of slicing moves by 50%, Night Slash first among them. Expect to see it everywhere in the early weeks of the season.
I have had a soft spot for the land shark since Diamond, and it happens to be one of the 29 engravings in our shop: the Garchomp LED Pokéball on a wood stand, the desert shark frozen in 3D inside the crystal, LED included.
| Mega Evolution | Type | Ability | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Lucario Z | Fighting / Steel | Aura Guard (new) | Damage from contact moves cut in half |
| Mega Garchomp Z | Dragon | Levitate | No more double Ice weakness, Ground immunity kept |
| Mega Absol Z | Dark / Ghost | Sharpness | Slicing moves +50%, a single weakness (Fairy) |
| Mega Salamence | Dragon / Flying | Aerilate | Normal moves turn Flying and hit harder |
| Mega Golisopod | Bug / Steel | To be revealed in game | A new defensive dual typing for the samurai |
| Mega Baxcalibur | Dragon / Ice | To be revealed in game | Baxcalibur's first Mega Evolution |
One safeguard remains, and it shapes the whole format: a single Mega Evolution per battle, per player. Choosing between a defensive Mega Garchomp Z and an offensive Mega Absol Z is already teambuilding.
What else does Regulation Set M-C bring?
Beyond the three Z Mega Evolutions, Regulation Set M-C adds Mega Salamence, Mega Golisopod and Mega Baxcalibur, plus 24 newly battle-eligible Pokémon, among them Rillaboom, a regular on team-tournament podiums.
Mega Salamence and its single crescent wing, the terror of VGC teams back in the Omega Ruby days. © The Pokémon Company
Mega Salamence needs no introduction: its Mega Evolution dates back to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and dominated entire tournament seasons. Mega Golisopod and Mega Baxcalibur are much fresher faces, and their Abilities were not detailed in the announcement: you will have to discover them controller in hand. Mega Golisopod's Bug and Steel typing is intriguing on paper: eight resistances and an immunity, against a single weakness, Fire, doubled admittedly.
Mega Golisopod, blades out. Its move to Steel makes it a wall of resistances. © The Pokémon Company
Mega Baxcalibur, the first Mega Evolution for Paldea's glacial dragon. © The Pokémon Company
The full list of the 24 newcomers can be checked directly in game, under Recruit, then Roster Info. One last breadcrumb dropped in the trailer: Mega Heatran appears briefly at the end, with no date attached. Specialist outlets expect it for the December update, right as Regulation Set M-C wraps up, but nothing is signed.
Watch the Pokémon Champions Z Mega Evolution trailer
Do you need to install Pokémon Champions for this?
Pokémon Champions is a free download on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, iOS and Android, with cross-platform play and shared save data through your Nintendo Account. Released on April 8, 2026 on consoles (April 7 in North America) and June 17 on mobile, the game has already passed 10 million downloads, a figure given by its co-director Masaaki Hoshino.
The same Hoshino was very clear about the game's direction in an interview with Video Games Chronicle picked up this September 8: no Pokémon Stadium-style solo modes on the horizon. "At least while more people are increasingly playing, I want to focus on PvP for the time being," he explains. Champions embraces being a battle game between humans, and Regulation Set M-C lands precisely to feed that PvP.
Worth knowing before you build your team: eligible Pokémon are recruited from Pokémon HOME without touching the original. And if your veterans are still asleep on a 3DS, do not wait: Pokémon Bank shuts down in February 2027, we detailed the whole transfer chain in our guide to the Pokémon Bank closure. As for the next big console stop for the franchise, it is called Pokémon Winds and Waves, generation ten, expected in 2027.
Frequently asked questions about Regulation Set M-C
When does Regulation Set M-C start in Pokémon Champions?
On Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. UTC, which is Tuesday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time. It stays in force until December 2, 2026 at 1:59 a.m. UTC. The two dates you see quoted online are the same moment viewed from two time zones.
Which Z Mega Evolutions are playable in Champions?
Three for this regulation: Mega Lucario Z (Fighting and Steel, Aura Guard Ability), Mega Garchomp Z (pure Dragon, Levitate) and Mega Absol Z (Dark and Ghost, Sharpness). They are the three forms introduced by the Mega Dimension DLC of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, now playable in Ranked Battles for the first time.
Does Mega Garchomp Z lose its Ice weakness?
Not entirely, but it melts by half: by becoming pure Dragon, Mega Garchomp Z turns Garchomp's double Ice weakness (4x damage) into a plain 2x. Its Levitate Ability also keeps the immunity to Ground moves and lets it dodge Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
Is the September 9 update paid?
No. Regulation Set M-C, the six Mega Evolutions and the 24 new Pokémon arrive through a free update to a game that is itself free to download on Switch, Switch 2, iOS and Android. The game offers optional purchases, but none of the above sits behind them.
Is Mega Heatran also coming on September 9?
No. Mega Heatran shows up briefly at the end of the trailer, with no date or details. Specialist outlets expect it for the December 2026 update, after Regulation Set M-C ends, but The Pokémon Company has confirmed nothing: at this point it is a tease, not a promise.
Where do Z Mega Evolutions come from?
From the Mega Dimension DLC of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, released on December 10, 2025. These alternate Mega Evolution forms, marked with a Z, first appeared there for Lucario, Garchomp and Absol as part of the story. Regulation Set M-C in Champions is their first competitive outing, brand-new Abilities included.
And if your favorite Pokémon deserves better than a team slot, our collection of light-up crystal Pokéballs engraves 29 of them in 3D, Lucario and Garchomp included, at 29.99 EUR each.
Image credits: The Pokémon Company (2026 World Championships trailer, Mega Evolution artworks). Sources: pokemon.com, Serebii, Bulbapedia, Pokekalos, Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo Life.
