Island Champions are the opponents players must defeat near the top of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort’s offline Island Crown mode. There are nine separate competitive ladders, each starting in 20th place and leading towards a Champion and the more difficult Island Legends, including Matt.
To reach Island Champions, choose a competitive sport in Island Crown, beat successive CPU opponents and advance your ranking. The ranking belongs to that sport alone, so defeating a Boxing Champion does not complete Table Tennis or Bowling. The main game guide compares ranked sports with the three leisure activities.
How to reach the Island Champions
Island Crown lets players climb ranks in nine competitive sports, not all twelve activities. As that progression advances, Nintendo says players can challenge Island Champions and eventually island Legends, giving the offline mode named milestones rather than an endless score grind.
The wording matters because Champions and Legends appear to be opponent tiers inside Island Crown, not separate multiplayer playlists. Nintendo specifically calls Island Crown an offline mode, so these encounters are part of the game’s solo or local progression structure. Island Crown offers separate ranking ladders for nine competitive sports.
All nine Island Champions by sport
| Island Crown sport | Champion |
|---|---|
| Boxing | Aya |
| Table Tennis | Yunsu |
| Archery | Ximena |
| Tennis | Chloé and Moritz |
| Volleyball | Lingling and Youyou |
| Bowling | Aaliyah |
| Basketball | Ada and Kanin |
| Golf | Filippo |
| Thumb Wrestling | Isamu |
Nintendo publishes these names on its official Sports Resort game page. Reach the top of the selected sport’s offline ranking and beat its Champion to progress towards the tougher Legend challenge. Matt is confirmed as a Legend opponent, not one of the nine Champions in this table.
The nine Champions by sport
Island Champions can be fought in Boxing, Table Tennis, Archery, Tennis, Volleyball, Bowling, Basketball, Golf and Thumb Wrestling. Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane are Wuhu Island leisure activities with no Island Crown rank ladder.
Nintendo confirms Matt as an Island Legend. The named Champions are listed in the table above.
When do you face the Legends?
Completing Island Crown challenges can earn Spocco Points and cosmetics. Check the reward shown after each opponent; Spocco Points can also be spent at the Item Center.
If an Island Champion is proving difficult, practise that sport’s basic controls and aim for consistency. Bowling rewards repeatable throw lines and deliberate spin, while Archery needs wind adjustment. Nintendo’s offline progression gives you repeated chances to improve without online matchmaking.
What do you earn by winning?
Legends are tougher challenges beyond Island Champions, not separate multiplayer playlists. Community players also describe a Gauntlet after defeating a Champion and Legend, although its exact availability and rewards are not documented in the official product details. Treat those early reports as player observations, not established unlock requirements.
Exploration and competition overlap throughout the resort. The same game that lets players hunt for flowers and photos also uses Wuhu Island as the setting for 12 sports, while Island Crown adds a structured offline ladder for players who want a clear challenge.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launched exclusively for Switch 2 on 22 October 2026. All twelve activities are included in the game.
Tips for tougher opponents
Pick a sport you enjoy and try its regular matches before moving into harder Island Crown opponents. The rankings are tracked separately for each of the nine competitive sports.
The Island Crown guide explains ranking progression, while All Sports identifies the nine disciplines eligible for the offline competition.
Official source: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort official guide.
