Pokemon Champions has only been live since April, and it’s already about to feel like a completely different game. Regulation Set M-C launches September 9, 2026 at 02:00 UTC — announced during the closing ceremony of the Pokemon World Championships 2026 — and it’s the largest single content drop the competitive battle client has seen since launch. Three Z Mega Evolutions making their Champions debut, 26 new Pokemon added to the legal roster, new items, updated battle rules, and a Mega Heatran tease for what’s coming next. The meta that crowned Mega Dragonite as the 2026 World Championship winner is about to be completely disrupted.
What Is Regulation Set M-C? The Quick Breakdown
For players unfamiliar with how Pokemon Champions works: the game operates on rotating Regulation Sets that define which Pokemon, Mega Evolutions, and items are legal for ranked battles and official VGC events during a given window. Regulation Set M-C is the third such set since launch, following M-A (April to June 2026) and M-B (June to September 2026 — the format used at Worlds). M-C runs from September 9 to December 2, 2026, and will be the format used at VGC events during that period, including the 2027 Latin America International Championships.
The key distinction from previous sets: Z Mega Evolutions are entering the game for the first time. This is the mechanic introduced in Pokemon Legends: Z-A where certain Pokemon can achieve a more powerful Mega Evolution form than their standard variant. Champions has had regular Mega Evolutions since launch — this is the first time Z Mega forms become legal in competitive play.
The Three Confirmed Z Mega Evolutions
Mega Absol Z — Dark/Ghost type
Ability: Sharpness, which boosts the power of slicing moves by 50%. For Absol, this means significantly enhanced damage on Night Slash, Shadow Claw, Psycho Cut, and Aerial Ace — all moves that benefit from the Sharpness multiplier. Mega Absol Z was already available in Pokemon Legends: Z-A and has an established identity as a high-damage attacker. The Dark/Ghost typing gives it a unique defensive profile with key immunities to Normal and Fighting moves, while Sharpness amplifies what it does best.
Mega Lucario Z — Fighting/Steel type
Ability: Aura Guard, a brand new ability making its first appearance anywhere in the Pokemon franchise. Aura Guard halves the damage Mega Lucario Z takes from contact moves — a significant defensive upgrade for a Pokemon that has historically been more fragile than its offensive output warrants. This is the ability that competitive players will be most focused on analyzing, because it changes the calculation for every physical attacker in the current meta. Standard Lucario and regular Mega Lucario Z are both already in the game, so the question is whether the Z Mega form’s enhanced bulk — combined with Aura Guard — finally makes it a genuine team cornerstone rather than a glass cannon.
Mega Garchomp Z — Dragon type (pure)
Ability: Levitate, granting full immunity to Ground-type moves and also removing the effects of entry hazards including Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web. This is the most discussed of the three Z Mega forms in competitive circles. Standard Garchomp’s Ground typing is a core part of its identity — losing it in the Z Mega form while gaining Levitate is a significant tradeoff. It means Mega Garchomp Z can no longer use its own Ground-type STAB moves without the Dragon/Ground dual typing, but in exchange it becomes immune to Earthquake — one of the most common spread moves in doubles — and loses vulnerability to entry hazards. Whether this ends up being a net positive depends entirely on the specific matchups and team compositions that emerge in M-C.
New Pokemon: Rillaboom and Baxcalibur Confirmed, 26 Total
The official press materials confirm 26 new Pokemon are being added to the M-C legal roster alongside the Z Mega Evolutions. Of those 26, two have been specifically named:
Rillaboom — The addition of Rillaboom is arguably the most significant non-Mega news in the M-C announcement. Rillaboom’s Hidden Ability is Grassy Surge, which automatically sets up Grassy Terrain when it enters the field. Grassy Terrain boosts Grass-type moves by 30%, heals all grounded Pokemon each turn, and halves the damage of spread moves like Earthquake and Magnitude. For doubles VGC, this is a transformative effect — and it likely brings a whole ecosystem of items and synergies with it. Grassy Seed triggers when a Pokemon enters the field while Grassy Terrain is active, consuming the item and raising the holder’s Defense stat. Pokemon like Sneasler — which carries Unburden and benefits from seed consumption — become significantly more threatening in a Rillaboom meta. Weather teams will also need to reconsider their terrain control strategy entirely now that a premier Grassy Terrain setter is available.
Baxcalibur — The Gen 9 Ice/Dragon type was a powerful meta threat during its mainline game cycle, and it arrives in Champions alongside confirmation that a Mega Baxcalibur will exist — though its ability has not yet been announced. Baxcalibur’s standard form hits hard with Glaive Rush and has strong physical attack. The Mega form’s ability reveal will determine whether it becomes a top-tier threat or a situational pick in M-C.
The remaining 24 Pokemon in the M-C roster expansion haven’t all been individually named yet, though it’s expected the full list will be released before September 9. Mega Heatran was also briefly teased during the Worlds closing ceremony with no details — presumably arriving in a future Regulation Set.
What New Items Could Mean for the Meta
The updated battle rules announcement almost certainly means new items are entering the legal pool, though the specific items haven’t been confirmed beyond what can be inferred from the confirmed Pokemon. Rillaboom’s inclusion makes Grassy Seed practically guaranteed to be in M-C — adding a Terrain setter without the Seeds that interact with it would be an unusual design choice. Misty Seed and Electric Seed may also follow depending on which Terrain setters are in the expanded roster.
The competitive community is also closely watching for Assault Vest, which has been absent from the Champions item pool since launch despite being a staple in mainline VGC formats. Assault Vest provides a 50% boost to Special Defense for Pokemon running an all-attacking moveset — no status or support moves allowed. Archaludon, which has been a fixture in rain teams throughout M-B, would become a dramatically different and more broadly viable Pokemon with Assault Vest access, given that Special Defense is its primary defensive weakness. If Assault Vest arrives in M-C, expect the entire Special attacker tier list to be reevaluated.
The Meta Context: What M-B Left Behind
The 2026 World Championships concluded on August 30 under Regulation Set M-B, and the results illustrated just how unpredictable the meta had become by the end of the format. Mega Dragonite — often underrated in meta tier discussions — won the VGC Masters division. The winning team didn’t use Incineroar, which had been one of the most prevalent Pokemon at the start of M-A. The meta had evolved significantly over the course of M-B, and M-C is now doing what every new regulation does: scrambling the established understanding.
Three Z Mega Evolutions, 26 new roster additions, a Terrain setter in Rillaboom, and a likely seed ecosystem entering the game simultaneously is an enormous amount of new material to process. The first weeks of M-C ranked ladder will be genuinely unpredictable — exactly what makes these regulation transitions exciting for competitive players.
Regulation Set M-C — At a Glance
- Start date: September 9, 2026 at 02:00 UTC
- End date: December 2, 2026 at 01:59 UTC
- New Z Mega Evolutions: Mega Absol Z (Sharpness), Mega Lucario Z (Aura Guard — new ability), Mega Garchomp Z (Levitate)
- Confirmed new Pokemon: Rillaboom, Baxcalibur (Mega form coming, ability TBA) — plus 24 others not yet individually named
- Total new Pokemon: 26
- New items: To be confirmed — Seeds strongly expected alongside Rillaboom
- Battle rules: Updated — specifics to be confirmed; may include Z Mega per-team limits
- Teased future content: Mega Heatran (no details, future regulation)
- VGC usage: Official format for 2027 LAIC and events September 9 through December 2
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch and mobile
- Price: Free to play
September 9 is going to be one of the most active days the Pokemon Champions community has seen. If you’re a competitive player, start theory-crafting now — the meta you mastered in M-B is about to look very different. And while Pokemon is generating big news this week, there’s plenty more happening across gaming: GTA 6’s November 19 release date just got another official confirmation, and The Witcher 3 Remastered launches September 29 with full save carry-over confirmed.
