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Play! Pokémon Travel Awards

Welcome to the Play! Pokémon Travel Award information page. This page is intended for players who have earned a travel award to the 2016 Pokémon U.S. National Championships and the 2016 Pokémon World Championships. If you have not earned a travel award this season, please visit Play! Pokémon for more information about Pokémon Organized Play. For more information regarding how to earn travel awards please visit OP Travel Award Rules .

Travel awards consist of round-trip airfare to the event and hotel accommodations for the duration of the tournament. Airfare is booked through our partner company Air Fulfillment Services, and hotel accommodations are automatically set up for you based on the dates of the event.

Travel award info for the U.S. National Championships.

Travel award info for the Pokémon World Championships.

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2024 Europe International Championships

• Alberto Núñez
• August 25, 2023

Check Pokémon’s website  here  and the organizer’s website  here  for further info!

Table of Contents

Teams and results.

Day 2 Swiss rounds

Check  here  to see the seeds for top cut from the Day 2 Swiss standings !

Day 1 Swiss rounds

All the players with a 7-2 or better record  at the  Day 1 Swiss standings  advanced to Day 2!

Teams and results - Seniors & Juniors

Seniors top cut, juniors top cut.

The event is broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube , with Lee Provost , Lou Akcos-Cromie , Kosta Daidimos , Charlie Merriman and Sierra Dawn as casters.

• Day 1 : stream starts on 5 April at 08:00 UTC
• Day 2 + Top Cut , except finals: stream starts on 6 April at 08:00 UTC
• Finals : stream starts on 7 April at around 13:30 UTC (after Pokémon GO and TCG)

Usage stats

The event will be broadcast live on  Twitch  and YouTube , with  Aaron Zheng ,  Sierra Dawn ,  Maeve O’Rourke  and  Jake Muller  as casters, with Rosemary Kelley  managing interviews to round winners and special guests, Pokémon GO caster  Stephanie Kristine  and former VGC caster  Evan Latt .

• Day 1 : stream starts on 25 February at 17:00 UTC
• Day 2 + Top Cut : stream starts on 26 February at 14:15 UTC

Take a look at the following matches:

Venue and schedule

The tournament will be held in the following location:

ExCeL London One Western Gateway Royal Victoria Dock London E16 1XL, United Kingdom

Check-in is done in advance on Thursday, 4 April from 1 pm to 8 pm BST; and, only for Seniors and Juniors players, on Friday, 5 April from 8 am to 8 pm BST.

Players must be in the venue by  5 April at 9 am BST  (08:00 UTC) for the players meeting. The tournament starts thereafter with the Day 1 Swiss rounds. Seniors and Juniors start on 6 April at 9 am BST (08:00 UTC).

Players qualified to Day 2 must be in the venue by  6 April at 9 am BST  (08:00 UTC) for the team checks. The Day 2 Swiss rounds (if any) and the top cut will be played thereafter.

Finals are held on Championship Sunday,  7 April at around 2:30 pm BST  (13:30 UTC) (TBC) for Juniors, then Seniors, then Masters. These matches are played after Pokémon GO and TCG finals.

This event is part of the  2024 official TPCi circuit  and thus it rewards Championship Points (CPs).

As a participation goodie, all players will be provided a Pokémon International Championships promo card . Other goodies may be added at a later date.

Additionally, the best-placed players will receive the following CPs  and prize money depending on final attendance:

If prize money is $5000 or more, it will be given as a choice of scholarship (in all cases) or cash (for minors, as a Pokémon Visa ® Prepaid Card). For lower prizes, it will be given as cash (for minors, as a Pokémon Visa ® Prepaid Card).

CP standings: North America

Season standings.

The following are the North America Championship Point standings before and after the event.

Players ranked 1st to 12th  at the end of the  2024 season  get Tier 1 invites to the 2024 World Championships. Players ranked 13th to 16th get Tier 2 invites.

Before the event

NOTE: CPs from Premier Challenges and Midseason Showdowns may not be up to date.

After the event

Find this information after the event!

CP standings: Europe

The following are the Europe  Championship Point standings before and after the event.

Players ranked 1st to 16th  at the end of the  2024 season  get Tier 1 invites to the 2024 World Championships. Players ranked 17th to 22nd  get Tier 2 invites.

CP standings: Latin America

The following are the Latin America  Championship Point standings before and after the event.

Players ranked 1st to 8th  at the end of the  2024 season  get Tier 1 invites to the 2024 World Championships. Players ranked 9th to 12nd  get Tier 2 invites.

CP standings: Oceania

The following are the Oceania  Championship Point standings before and after the event.

Players ranked 1st to 4th  at the end of the  2024 season  get Tier 1 invites to the 2024 World Championships. Players ranked 5th to 8th get Tier 2 invites.

The Europe International Championships , or EUIC , is one of the three official TPCi International events for Pokémon VGC, TCG and Pokémon GO , alongside the Europe and North America Internationals. For VGC, it is the second Internationals of the  2024 season . Pokémon UNITE ‘s 2024 Aeos Cup will be held in this event.

It is the sixth edition of EUIC. It has been celebrated yearly since the 2017 season, except in 2020 and 2021. See the results of the previous editions:

The ruleset is  VGC Regulation Set F , and it is played using open team lists .

A little bit of history

The United Kingdom has been part of the Europe region of the official TPCI circuit for many years. It has hosted multiple major events, including Regional Championships, old-era National Championships, the  2017 ,  2018  and  2023  Europe Internationals and even the  2022 World Championships , the first one to be held in Europe. The United Kingdom’s greatest VGC success was  Mark McQuillan ‘s  2015 Senior Division World Championship  win.

The most recent tournament held in the United Kingdom was the  2024 Liverpool Regionals , played with the VGC Regulation Set F in January 2024. The  finals  saw Spaniard  Antonio Sánchez  defeat 2019 EUIC Champion  Flavio Del Pidio  to achieve his first-ever major title.

The last time the Europe International Championships were held was the  2023 edition , also hosted in London, United Kingdom, and played with the VGC Regulation Set C in April 2023. The  EUIC finals  saw 2022 Worlds semifinalist  Paul Chua  defeat 2022 NAIC finalist  Gabriel Agati  to achieve the most important title of his career!

American  James Evans , the  2018 Senior Division World Champion , defeated Brazilian  Gabriel Agati  in the NAIC finals.

Sign-up instructions

Sign-ups for the event are done through  RK9 Labs platform, and you will first need to set up your RK9 profile  and have a  Play! Pokémon Player ID . All players must comply with the  Play! Pokémon COVID-19 Protocols .

Sign-ups are  £70 for Masters players and £40 for Senior and Junior players, and they open on different waves:

• Wave 1 on 22 February at 7 pm GMT (19:00 UTC)
• Wave 2 on 23 February at 9 am GMT (09:00 UTC)

If the player cap is not reached, sign-ups close one week before the event, on 28 March at 8 pm GMT (20:00 UTC).

For registered players, team lists must be submitted 1 hour before the event starts, by 5 April at 8 am BST  (07:00 UTC). Seniors and Juniors have an extra day.

Spectator passes can be purchased  here . For the first time, it will be possible to purchase a full-weekend pass or individual day passes .

EUIC Travel Award recipients

The players with most Championship Points (CP) in the Travel Award standings from each TPCi region at the end of the EUIC Travel Award period  (3 July to 19 November 2023) earned Travel Award prizes for this tournament:

• Top 4 players in North America, Latin America and Oceania receive a $3,500 Travel Award ($5,000 for minors)
• Top 4 players in Europe receive a $2,000 Travel Award ($2,500 for minors)
• Players ranked 5th to 8th in each region receive a $1,000 Travel Stipend

Additionally, Top 4 players in Players Cups  I ,  II  and  III  may opt to use their Travel Award for this tournament if they have not done so yet.

The following are the final EUIC Travel Award standings for each region:

• Play! Pokémon

Play! Pokémon (formerly known as Pokémon Organized Play and often abbreviated as POP ) is an official gathering of players of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the Pokémon video games (often referred to as just Pokémon games ) to play, trade, and just generally have fun and learn about the games. Play! Pokémon formerly oversaw activity within the Pokémon Trading Figure Game , which is no longer active, and have also included Pokkén Tournament in events since 2016.

The division was formed by The Pokémon Company International (née Pokémon USA) in 2003 after Wizards of the Coast lost their Pokémon Trading Card Game (abbreviated as TCG) license. With their stewardship, PUSA created new league, tournament, and prize systems, as well as an improved Professor Program . In 2010, the name changed from Pokémon Organized Play to its current title, Play! Pokémon.

• 1 Registration
• 2 Age divisions
• 3 Pokémon Leagues
• 4.1 POP packs
• 4.2 Player of the Year
• 5.1 Typical prizes
• 6 Prerelease Tournaments
• 7.1 League Challenges
• 7.2 League Cups
• 7.3.1 Typical prize structure
• 7.4.1 Typical prize structure
• 7.5.1 Qualifying Requirements
• 7.5.2 Typical prize structure
• 8.1 Gym and Stadium Challenges
• 8.2.1 Typical prize structure
• 8.3.1 Typical prize structure
• 8.4.1 Typical prize structure
• 8.5.1 Typical prize structure
• 8.6 Last Chance Qualifier
• 9.1 Premier Challenges
• 9.2 Midseason Showdowns
• 9.3.1 Typical prize structure
• 9.4.1 Typical prize structure
• 9.5.1 Qualifying Requirements
• 9.5.2 Typical prize structure
• 10.1.1 Typical prize structure
• 11 Pokkén Tournament
• 12 External links

Registration

Players playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game or Pokémon video games in organized play events or competitions are assigned a player ID. Event organizers upload player event information that may then be viewed on the Pokémon.com website by players if players also create a Pokémon Trainer Club account, including a player's Rankings, Premier Ratings , Tournaments (for Tournament Organizers only), or Leagues (for League Leaders only). After setting up a Pokémon Trainer Club account and linking that account to the player's ID, organized play information is accessed by going to "My Profile" under the Pokémon.com Pokémon Trainer Club section of the website and selecting "Play! Pokémon Settings" and then "My Play! Pokémon" .

The player Pokémon Trainer Club account is also used to adjust general website settings, many Pokémon Trading Card Game Online settings, and may be used by parents to setup and control sub-accounts for their children.

Age divisions

So that younger, less experienced players are not disadvantaged by playing older, more experienced players, sanctioned Pokémon tournaments separate players into age divisions. These were defined by a specific age up until the 2006-2007 season, consisting of Ten and Under (10-), Eleven to Fourteen (11-14), and Fifteen and Over (15+). Beginning with the 2006-2007 season, the system was revised to be based on year of birth, to avoid the issues of a player shifting divisions in the middle of a tournament season.

Originally the Video Game Championship series used only two age divisions, but as of 2012 both the Trading Card Game and Video Game series have been unified to use the same age division structure.

As of July 5, 2020, the three age divisions are defined as follows:

• Junior Division : Born in 2009 or later
• Senior Division : Born in 2005, 2006, 2007, or 2008
• Masters Division : Born in 2004 or earlier

These age divisions apply for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, due to the cancellation of the 2019-2020 season, and the subsequent decision to allow accumulation of Championship Points across both seasons.

These divisions are officially adjusted when the new tournament season begins, around mid-July each year, sometime between the conclusion of National Championships worldwide and the start of the Pokémon World Championships . However, the World Championships are considered part of the previous tournament season and use its age division years.

Pokémon Leagues

Pokémon Leagues provide a nearby place for players to get together with other fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon games and have fun. They are often held in public locations, such as stores, community centers and libraries. Leagues are often the perfect venues for players starting out to learn about the TCG or video games and to hone their skills to compete in tournaments.

Leagues often focus on a theme related to the current video game every year, and break the cycle down into seven or eight seasons lasting around six weeks, each season representing a part of the theme (e.g. a specific Gym if the theme is based around Gyms featured in a Pokémon game). The theme often correlates with the current main series Pokémon games.

List of themes featured in Pokémon TCG Leagues

• 2003-04: Hoenn League
• 2004-05: Sevii Islands League
• 2005-06: Battle Frontier League
• 2006-07: Kanto League
• 2007-08: Sinnoh League
• 2008-09: Energy League
• 2009-10: Trainer League
• 2010-11: Pokéathlon League

During Wizards' tenure, players received points based on actions at every League session, and these points were recorded in League books. Points were awarded for actions such as challenging a player, winning/losing a battle, trading cards, meeting new individuals and promoting good sportsmanship.

Unlike Wizards, Play! Pokémon utilized a hybrid League system during the 2003-2004 season, where players could earn points by playing both the video games and the Trading Card Game. The idea was scrapped for the next cycle, though it since has made a comeback.

Typical prizes: When a player reaches the Poké Ball symbol or the badge symbol on their Score Card , they receive (a) promotional foil card(s). Once an entire side is filled, the player will receive a promotional Nintendo DS Lite/DSi skin. Some Leagues have a different system of handing these items out.

Player Rewards Program

This allows players who compete in Leagues, Tournaments and Premier Events to earn rewards for their efforts. Attending one of these will earn players 1 "credit". Each credit is a step toward a Rewards "Tier." At the end of each quarter, Play! Pokémon distributes the Player Rewards to those that have earned them through the mail. At one time, player who played in 3–5 events qualified for Tier One and earn 5 POP booster packs; 6–10 events qualified for Tier Two, earning 10 packs, and 11 events or more qualify for Tier Three and earned 15 packs. Thus, players could earn up to 15 POP Booster packs each quarter (three months).

POP packs were special Pokémon TCG Booster packs that only contained two cards. Introduced in September 2004, the POP sets were released roughly once every six months until September 2009. There were nine POP sets in total: Series 1 , Series 2 , Series 3 , Series 4 , Series 5 , Series 6 , Series 7 , Series 8 and Series 9 , each with 17 cards, plus variants. They were created to bring useful cards that had been rotated out of play back into the game, as well as exclusive cards. With an increasing number of alternate-art Promo cards in Japan, the latest POP sets also served as a means of releasing them in English. The usefulness of these sets had been the subject of debate within the Pokémon community; collectors praising PUSA for bringing these cards to the west, while they faced scrutiny by players, as many cards were the same as those in the current Modified format.

Initially, POP packs could only be acquired by participating in Pokémon Organized Play events, but after leagues no longer distributed them, they were often included in Value Packs, etc. sold in stores.

Player of the Year

Beginning with the 2011-2012 season, the TCG player in each age division who attained the most Play! Points during the season was awarded the title Player of the Year and rewarded with two boxes of each set released during the next year. Award winners were:

Local Tournaments

Local Tournaments are meant for both fun and practice. They are usually held once a week in a gaming store or other large hall such as a church by a local League Leader or Tournament Organizer . Prizes vary depending on the competitors. They are often free to enter, but organizers may charge a reasonable entry fee.

Play! Pokémon sanctioned tournaments are either single elimination, Swiss, or Swiss followed by single elimination rounds. Events in which attendance does not reach six players in every age division use 'Age Modified Swiss', (a variation of Swiss invented by Play! Pokémon) in which age divisions are mixed together and a player's age division takes priority over the player's record when the organizer pairs players.

After sanctioned tournaments are completed, the Tournament Organizer uploads the results of each match to The Pokémon Company International (abbreviated to TPCi) via Play! Pokémon. The results of each match are used to calculate a player's Premier Rating . Play! Pokémon Ratings are based on the Elo rating system .

Typical prizes

In early seasons, players could earn Promotional cards by participating in league sessions.

Prerelease Tournaments

Prerelease Tournaments are events in which players get the opportunity to play with cards from an Expansion that will be released in stores prior to the event. They are typically held on the two weekends before the set release (although a third weekend is added to the schedule if the Prerelease clashes with a major Play! Pokémon event, such as the World Championships, traditionally held in August). The fee is a minimum of $25 and each player gets four Booster packs, a 22-cards pack, and a foil black-star promo. Players may build a 40-card deck using the cards opened out of the given packs (not including basic Energy cards, which are provided at the event). If the player vouches to participate in this event, they receive additional booster packs at the end of the event.

TCG Premier Events

Premier Events are tournaments held throughout the year, offering opportunities to earn invitations to the World Championships held each August. Invitations to the World Championships could be earned, in season, by a player's Premier Ratings from 2003-2010. Each player's Premier Rating would go up and down as wins and losses were accumulated, calculated by a factor called a K-Value . In 2011, the system changed to allow only the top players in each regional zone to be invited based on Championship Points accumulated throughout the 2011-2012 season.

League Challenges

League challenges are the smallest level of currently active Pokémon TCG Premier Events. These are run by local leagues, and are intended as an entry-level event for new players who attend the local league. These events typically attract roughly 8 to 30 players, and run Swiss format with no top cut. These tournaments offer up to 15 Championship Points, as well as unique Promotional Cards for the top finishers.

League Cups

Leagues Cups are the second smallest level of currently active Pokémon TCG Premier Events. These are also held by local leagues, however they are only available to leagues with a trusted record of successful turnout at events. These events are considered more prestigious than League Challenges, and will often attract a larger number of players to attend. These tournaments offer up to 50 Championship points, as well as unique Promotional cards and Play Mats for the top finishers.

Regional Championships

First introduced in 2005, this event divides countries into large regions and pits players against each other in order to become the Regional champion. Regional Championships are held around the year. These tournaments offer up to 200 Championship Points. In some countries, Regional Championships are replaced by Special Championships, which give the same Championship Point yield but no prize money.

Typical prize structure

All competitors receive a stamped promotional card.

International Championships

International Championships are the highest level of Premier event, aside from the World Championships. Only four of these events are held per year, in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. These events offer up to 500 Championship Points and a large prize pool. All competitors also receive an entry kit containing merchandise such as promotional cards, play mats, pin badges, deck boxes and card sleeves. These events always support both TCG and VGC, and often also comprise Pokkén Tournament events.

World Championships

The season comes to a climax at the World Championships held in August. Only players who receive invitations via their National Championships, Premier Rating, or performance at the previous World Championships are permitted to play in this event. The event hosts top players from around the world competing for the title of Pokémon World Champion. Championship Points earned at the World Championships will be used in the next year's totals.

Qualifying Requirements

The Pokémon World Championships are an invite-only event, and players must earn an invitation by earning enough Championship Points throughout the season, or by placing highly within the region. For the 2019 season, players can earn entry for the World Championships, as well as a travel award and a bye into the second day of the tournament, by placing within the top 16 players in US & Canada, the top 22 players in Europe, the top 8 players in Latin America, or the top 8 players in Oceania. Each of these is based on a player's ranking within their region, and within their age division. Additional qualifying methods are available in other regions such as Japan. Qualification and entry into the World Championships, without travel awards or byes, are also earned by collecting a given amount of Championship points throughout the season.

In addition, all qualified players receive a welcome pack of exclusive World Championships-themed merchandise, usually containing Promo Cards, Plushes, deck boxes and T-Shirts.

Retired TCG Premier Events

Gym and stadium challenges.

In these events, players from many areas came together to play for a World Championships invitation. Stadium Challenges were phased out in the 2005-2006 season, and Gym Challenges were ended beginning in the 2006-2007 season in favor of Battle Road Tournaments, similar to those held in Japan.

Typical prizes included an invitation to play in the World Championships of that year, a travel award and hotel stay for the tournament (for those who ranked high up), a combination of Booster packs, a stamped promotional card and commemorative pin.

Battle Road Tournaments

Held in the Autumn and the Spring, the Battle Road tournaments were entry level tournaments which give players the opportunity to earn up to 15 Championship Points, and have a Best Finish Limit of 6 (Autumn and Spring combined). Battle Road Autumn tournaments were held between September and October, while the Spring tournaments were held between May and June. The Battle Road tournament level has been retired.

City Championships

The third event in the Championship Series, held between November and January, were the City Championships. City Championships allow players to earn up to 50 Championship Points, and have a Best Finish Limit of 4. Though commonly held on weekends, some major cities are known to hold tournaments daily in large, adjacent suburbs for a period of four to nine days, with one or two days of rest within. The City Championships tournament level has now been retired.

State • Province • Territory Championships

Previously known as 'State Championships' before the 2006-2007 season, this event, held on one of three weekends in March, brings together players from States, Provinces, and Territories, as well as neighboring areas, to determine the State, Provincial or Territorial Champion. Players can earn up to 100 Championship Points, and these events come together with Regional Championships to form a Best Finish Limit of 4. This level of tournament has now been combined with Regional Championships.

National Championships

The National Championships are the penultimate event of the Championship Series. Held between April and June in countries across the globe, it gives players in good standing to compete to become National Champion and give their Championship Points a boost, potentially winning an invitation to Worlds. As of 2017, National Championships have been retired and replaced with International Championships.

Last Chance Qualifier

The Last Chance qualifier, referred to casually as "the grinder," is an event held on-site on the first day of the World Championships. Typically, it consists of multi-round single-elimination, best of three tournament. The number of players who receive Worlds invites from the Last Chance Qualifier is dependent on how many Worlds spots have been claimed through Championship Points and other tournaments. As of Worlds 2015, TCG no longer runs a Last Chance Qualifier event, but instead feature other side events worth Championship Points in the following season.

Video Game Championships

The Pokémon video games have their own set of tournaments which usually parallel with the Trading Card Game. One of the first instances of a major video game tournament was the Pokémon 10th Anniversary Journey Across America , where tournaments were held as part of the tour. The first Video Game National Championships was held at the Party of the Decade on August 8, 2006 at Bryant Park in New York City . In 2008, at the TCG World Championships, a special Video Game Showdown was held. Players were separated into Junior and Senior Divisions. This tournament would evolve into the first formal World Championships for the Pokémon video games in 2009.

Premier Challenges

Premier Challenges are the smallest level of VGC Premier Event, and can be seen as a parallel to League Challenges. These are organized by local Tournament Organizers and intended as an entry level for new players. These events offer up to 30 Championship Points.

Midseason Showdowns

Midseason Showdowns, commonly abbreviated to MSS, are the second smallest level of VGC Premier Event. These can be seen as a parallel to League Cups. Like Premier Challenges, these are organized by local Tournament Organizers, but often attract more players due to the higher point yield. These events offer up to 50 Championship Points.

Regional Championships are held throughout the year, usually alongside the TCG. These events offer up to 200 Championship Points. In some countries, Regional Championships are replaced by Special Championships, which give the same Championship Point yield but no prize money.

International Championships are the highest level of Premier event, aside from the World Championships. Only four of these events are held per year, in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. These events offer up to 500 Championship Points and a large prize pool. All competitors also receive an entry kit containing merchandise such as promotional cards, play mats, pin badges, deck boxes and card sleeves. These events always support both TCG and VGC, and often also comprise Pokkén Tournament events. Typically, these events are held over three days for Masters, with Swiss rounds occurring on the first and second day, and a single-elimination top cut occurring on the third day. For Juniors and Seniors, these are typically held over two days. Travel awards to compete in Pokémon International Championships are given to 4 players per age division in each rating zone, based on Championship Points earned during a period earlier in the season.

World Championship

The Pokémon VGC World Championships are a three-day event, with Swiss rounds taking place on days 1 and 2, with the single-elimination top cut and finals taking part on day 3. Players who perform highly within their rating region can earn Byes to automatically advance to the second day of the event. 2009 in San Diego, California .

The Pokémon World Championships are an invite-only event, and players must earn an invitation by earning enough Championship Points throughout the season, or by placing highly within the region. For the 2019 season, players can earn entry for the World Championships, as well as a travel award and a bye into the second day of the tournament, by placing within the top 8 players in US & Canada, the top 16 players in Europe, the top 8 players in Latin America, or the top 8 players in Oceania. Each of these is based on a player's ranking within their region, and within their age division Additional qualifying methods are available in other regions such as Japan. Qualification and entry into the World Championships, without travel awards or byes, are also earned by collecting a given amount of Championship points throughout the season.

The following prize structure was accurate as of the 2018 season.

Retired VG Premier Events

National championship.

National Championships were the penultimate event in the VG Championship Series. They offered invitations to the World Championships for the high finishers in the tournament. Since 2017, these have been retired and replaced with International Championships.

Pokkén Tournament

From 2016-2022, Play! Pokémon ran a series of events on Pokkén Tournament for the Nintendo Wii U and Pokkén Tournament DX for the Nintendo Switch . Unlike TCG and VGC, these events were always held in a Double Elimination tournament format. Qualifying events were usually held as part of a Regional Championship, National Championship, International Championship, or as a Last Chance Qualifier at the World Championships. Top finishers at these events qualified directly for the Pokkén Tournament event at the Pokémon World Championships. At these events, all characters including unlockable characters and DLC characters were permitted, and games were held using the Event Mode, which forced a LAN connection giving each player a full screen to play on. Only the Hori Pokkén Controller was permitted, and players were encouraged to bring their own controllers. Play! Pokémon ended support for Pokkén Tournament at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

• During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, events were held on Pokkén Tournament for the Nintendo Wii U
• During the 2018 season, events were held on Pokkén Tournament DX for the Nintendo Switch using the Basic Battle mode
• During the 2019 season, events were held on Pokkén Tournament DX for the Nintendo Switch using the Team Battle mode

External links

• Official Play! Pokémon website
• List of Pokémon Video Game World Finalist Teams
• Outdated articles
• Pokémon Trading Card Game
• Pokémon meta

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The road to the 2024 Pokémon World Championships is treacherous at EUIC

The Pokémon World Championship, the ultimate battleground for aspiring VGC, TCG, Unite, or Go pro players, is a thrilling competition. The road to Worlds is a test of skill, strategy, and endurance, where securing enough Championship Points to earn an invite is a badge of honor.

To get invited to the big end-of-year event, trainers must participate in several regional and international competitions to earn points, achieved via high placements and requiring all of their talent, consistency, a willingness to travel, and some luck. After reaching a set number of points, depending on which region you come from, you will be invited to compete at Worlds. International events like the EUIC are the pinnacle of the competition and offer vast amounts of points compared to regionals, with the significant downside being more attendees .

For a lot of these players, Worlds in Honolulu, Hawai’i is the end goal . If you spend the whole year attending multiple events and fail to miss the World Championship, your entire year feels wasted. The stress and anxiety of missing out are very present in players, even if they don’t show it.

The European International Championship is not just a competition. It’s a crucial stepping stone for ambitious players in Europe and the U.K. to the prestigious Pokémon World Championship. This pivotal event, which took place in London, U.K., from April 5 to 7 this year, was a golden opportunity for global recognition in the gaming community.

And I was there to catch all the action as it happened.

Following the journey

At EUIC, which had over 4,000 competitors across multiple games, I closely followed several U.K. and EU players as they battled for a Worlds placement and a top spot in their regional leaderboard. Finishing in the top 22 on that leaderboard not only secures an invite to Worlds, but also earns players a travel award and a round one bye, effectively paying for their travel and giving them an advantage towards the Worlds title. Tournaments like EUIC are a crucial step towards those vast bonuses. Failure to hit that top 22 for Europe means some might not be able to afford to go to Worlds. Getting to Hawai’i isn’t exactly a cheap trip, after all.

During EUIC, with travel expenses provided by The Pokémon Company International, the Pokémon team linked Dot Esports up with a player to follow their journey through EUIC as they hoped to lock in a Worlds spot. One of the players gunning for glory was Demetris Eaton , a formidable UK TCG player and runner-up at the Toronto Regionals in October 2023. He was among those vying for a tier-one Worlds qualifying spot. 

Despite his best efforts, the tournament didn’t unfold as he had hoped. With a final score of 4-2-3 at the end of day one, he narrowly missed out on day two and a chance at a top-eight finish, a bittersweet end to his EUIC journey.

Reflecting on his unlucky day one, Demetris explained to Dot Esports the challenges he faced while playing his variant of a Snorlax Stall deck due to “difficult matchups, such as Arceus, Giratina , and some counter cards like Minior.” He was disappointed with his performance, but finished 16th on the European leaderboards. 

Demetris concluded that he “expected to do better” before ending on a more positive note,  telling us that he is “happy to have earned points as it helps with my contention for top 22 Europe.” With more tournaments on the horizon and players creeping up on his points tally, he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to end in the top 22 and get that coveted tier-one spot.

After failing with Snorlax Stall, Demetris plans to return to what got him the Toronto runner-up spot in the first place by going back to Gardevoir ex. Not only that, but he also already has a clear goal in mind: bouncing back from his EUIC performance by “attending all the remaining European events” to secure the top 22 EU finishes.

On the VGC side, it was a similar story for the home-grown players, with only Joseph Russell making it to the top 11, barely missing out on a top eight place on day two. Most players told a similar story of not understanding or respecting the meta, with Raging Bolt, Incineroar , and Ogerpon dominating the weekend.

One play away from glory or heartbreak

After watching a few players’ journeys throughout EUIC and seeing the heartbreak from missing out on their goals , it really drilled home how hard the journey to Worlds is. You are always one poor play or lousy day from risking it all.

Any competition is a battle of wits. Even if you spend months preparing a team or deck, the game can be unpredictable, and you must adapt as you go. A misread of the meta or one wrong move can haunt you, but it can also inspire you to work harder or make the changes necessary to get to where you want to be, like Demetris’ planned changes to his deck.

For most players, the final chance to secure a spot at Worlds will be June 7-9 in New Orleans. At NAIC, we are getting two significant changes that will completely change the meta. On the VGC side, Regulation G will be active starting on May 1, allowing most Legendary Pokémon, including the feared Shadow Calyrex, to appear. As for TCG players, a brand new set called Twilight Masquerade launches May 24, bringing new cards like Ogerpon EX that could destabilize current decks.

Whoever understands these new metas first and pulls out all the stops to surprise their opponent will take it all and secure those final Worlds slots. It’s make-or-break time in the competitive Pokémon world, and those who evolve their game should reap the rewards as Worlds looms ever closer.

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News Webby Awards Nominate Pokémon: Path to the Peak Anime for Best Animation

The series premiere globally on YouTube on August 11. The series is based on the Pokémon Trading Card Game and follows Ava and her partner Pokémon Oddish.

The 51st Annual Annie Awards nominated the series for Best TV/Media – Limited Series.

The Pokémon TCG launched in Japan in 1996 and in the WEST. in 1998. The Pokémon Company International became the publisher and distributor of the TCG in 2003.

The Pokémon Company International is developing a new unscripted series involving the Pokémon TCG.

Pokémon Trading Card Live , the new free-to-play online app for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac, officially launched (outside of beta) on June 8.

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences presents The Webby Awards each year. The awards were established in 1996, and describe themselves as "the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet." This year's winners will be announced on April 23.

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