The Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store is coming to the Pokémon World Championships at ExCeL London from August 17th to 21st, 2022! The store features exclusive merch, photo opportunities, themed areas, advance timeslot reservations and a virtual queuing system for walk-ups. Stay tuned for more information on how to make your advance reservation!

Source: https://twitter.com/PokemonNewsUK/status/1552228398017265664

In anticipation of the event, The Pokémon Company International unveiled the official art for the 2022 Pokémon World Championships today. The tournament takes place in London, England this year from August 18th, 2022 to August 21st, 2022. High resolution artwork from the press release has been added to an Imageboard thread.

Start Planning for the 2022 Pokémon World Championships

The four-day event hosts five individual competitions, as well as plenty of fun activities for spectators.

The 2022 Pokémon World Championships are just around the corner, taking place August 18–21 at the ExCeL London events center. The world's best Pokémon TCG, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, Pokémon GO, Pokkén Tournament DX, and Pokémon UNITE players will gather to compete for the prestigious Pokémon World Champion title, more than half a million dollars in prizes, and return invitations for next year's Worlds competitions. Keep an eye out for a forthcoming list of players who will advance to compete in London.

This year, for the first time, Pokémon fans who are planning to shop at the pop-up Pokémon Center at Worlds must schedule a reservation. Tickets to shop will be available starting July 18. Shopping appointments will likely be claimed quickly, so don't miss your opportunity to shop for exclusive merchandise. Stay tuned for additional information about where to make your reservation.

POKÉMON MEETS LONDON WITH REVEAL OF OFFICIAL 2022 POKÉMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ART

Bellevue, WA—June 28, 2022—The culmination of the 2022 Play! Pokémon season is on the horizon with the conclusion of last week’s 2022 Pokémon North America International Championships. The final list of winners from the weekend is as follows:

Trading Card Game Junior Division:
1st place: Nathan Osterkatz

Trading Card Game Senior Division:
1st place: Rune Heiremans

Trading Card Game Masters Division:
1st place: Azul Garcia Griego

Video Game Junior Division:
1st place: Abel Ashby

Video Game Senior Division:
1st place: Christopher Han

Video Game Masters Division:
1st place: James Evans

Pokémon GO Senior Division:
1st place: Andrew Ford

Pokémon GO Masters Division:
1st place: Payden Bingham

Pokkén Tournament DX Senior Division:
1st place: Peyton Fearing

Pokkén Tournament DX Masters Division:
1st place: Chaz Wright

Top-ranked players have now secured an invitation to the Pokémon World Championships. Now a four-day event, the 2022 Pokémon World Championships will take place August 18–21 in London, England. Thousands of competitors, spectators, and fans will converge at ExCeL London, where some of the world’s most elite Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video game, Pokkén Tournament DX, Pokémon UNITE, and Pokémon GO players will compete for the coveted title of World Champion and more than $500,000 in scholarships, cash, and prizes.


In anticipation of the event, The Pokémon Company International unveiled the official art for the 2022 Pokémon World Championships today. Every year, special artwork is created for the Pokémon World Championships, often inspired by the location where the event is held. This year’s art draws inspiration from the iconic sights and rich culture of London, England.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/start-planning-for-the-2022-pokemon-world-championships/

The official Pokémon website has announced that 9 cards that had limited worldwide distribution will not be legal to play at the 2022 Pokémon TCG World Championship.

2022 Pokémon TCG World Championships Card Restrictions and 2023 Rotation Information

Some cards will not be permitted in competition at the 2022 Pokémon TCG World Championships.

Some cards from the Sword & Shield series were not distributed worldwide. In the spirit of a fair global event, the following cards will not be legal for play at the 2022 Pokémon TCG World Championships:

• Special Delivery Pikachu (Black Star Promo, SWSH074)
• Lance's Charizard V (Black Star Promo, SWSH133)
• Dark Sylveon V (Black Star Promo, SWSH134)
• Special Delivery Bidoof (Black Star Promo, SWSH177)
• Pikachu on the Ball (Pokémon Futsal, 001/005)
• Eevee on the Ball (Pokémon Futsal, 002/005)
• Grookey on the Ball (Pokémon Futsal, 003/005)
• Scorbunny on the Ball (Pokémon Futsal, 004/005)
• Sobble on the Ball (Pokémon Futsal, 005/005)

Standard Format Rotation Information

For the last few years, the Pokémon TCG Standard format rotation has occurred in either August or September. However, the next rotation will not occur until early 2023. This means that cards with the “D” regulation mark can be used at the 2022 Pokémon TCG World Championships. The newest expansion that will be legal for play at this event will be the Pokémon TCG: Pokémon GO expansion.

The exact date for the next Pokémon TCG Standard format rotation will be announced later. As stated in the 2022 Pokémon TCG Championship Series Season Format Rotation article, when the next rotation occurs, all cards with the “D” regulation mark will be removed from the Standard format.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/2022-pokemon-tcg-world-championships-card-restrictions-and-2023-rotation-information/

The Pokémon Company has announced that the 2022 Pokémon World Championships will be held at ExCeL London in England on August 18th to 21st, 2022. The World Championships is now a four-day event in order to accommodate the activities and number of tournaments that take place. Top Pokémon players will be invited to compete in the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokkén Tournament DX, Pokémon UNITE and Pokémon GO for the title of World Champion.

ExCeL London Hosts the 2022 Pokémon World Championships from August 18–21

The big event is back! Join the action in England for four straight days this summer.

This August, the Pokémon World Championships will make their long-anticipated return! For the first time in history, the big event will be held outside North America when London, England, hosts the competition August 18–21, 2022. The event will include competitions for the Pokémon TCG, the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games, Pokémon GO, Pokémon UNITE, and Pokkén Tournament DX. The venue for the event is the enormous ExCeL London event center, which has also hosted previous Europe International Championships.

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

Worlds is now a four-day event, with exciting activities for players and spectators alike. The very best Pokémon Trainers will be vying for the title of World Champion, but that's only the beginning of the fun—other activities will be available for all Pokémon fans.

From August 17–21, the 2022 Pokémon World Championships will also be home to a Pokémon Center store, where fans will be able to purchase a wide variety of products including a range of items themed around the tournament. The Pokémon Center will remain open while supplies last.

Invited players will not have to pay an entry fee to participate at Worlds, but there will be a nominal fee for spectator badges. Stay tuned for more information on the cost and availability of spectator badges.

The safety and well-being of our competitors, organizers, employees, local communities, and partners continues to be our top priority. Information on our COVID-19 policy can be found here.

If you want to compete in the Pokémon World Championships, it's not too late to get started. Find an event near you and start earning Championship Points toward a coveted Worlds invitation!

We'll have much more news and info on the Pokémon World Championships as we get closer to the event.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/excel-london-hosts-the-2022-pokemon-world-championships-from-august-1821/

The Pokémon Company has announced that for the first time in nearly two years, Play! Pokémon Live competitions are back and players can earn Championship Points toward an invitation to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships in London, England. Competitors must adhear to the COVID-19 policy which requires that all potential attendees and staff must show proof of vaccination and present a negative COVID-19 test for admittance to Premier Events.

Play! Pokémon Live Competitions Are Back!

For the first time in nearly two years, Pokémon TCG Championship Series and Pokémon Video Game Championship Series players can sign up to play in live events. Battle to earn Championship Points toward an invitation to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships in London, England. Use the Event Locator to find a Pokémon TCG or video game competition near you and register to play.

Note that large events have limited capacity and require spectators and participants to have badges, as well as comply with our COVID-19 policy.

Take a look at the Pokémon TCG and Video Game Championship Series info pages to prepare for Play! Pokémon events.

Good luck competing at events in the 2022 Pokémon Championship Series!
Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/play-pokemon-live-competitions-are-back/

Pokémon UNITE is joining the Pokémon World Championship Series! Learn more about what else is ahead in the latest letter from the producer of Pokémon UNITE.

An Exciting Update from the Pokémon UNITE Team!

Hello, everyone, It’s been an incredible couple of months for the Pokémon UNITE team in the time since our last producer letter. We’ve been blown away by the strategies and playstyles that we’ve watched evolve over time as Trainers climb the ranks and discover new ways to victory. Players continue to impress us with the surprising talent they’ve shown in mastering new Pokémon and using them in ways we could never anticipate.

In addition to more playable Pokémon, there’s plenty more planned ahead to make your time on Aeos Island even more enjoyable. Today, we wanted to take an opportunity to share some details on what else is in store for Pokémon UNITE.

First, we’re excited to reveal that Pokémon UNITE will be joining the Pokémon World Championships in 2022! Starting this year, Pokémon UNITE teams from around the globe will have the opportunity to battle it out over a competitive season, with qualifying teams going head-to-head at our World Championships in August. We’ll have more details to share soon.

In line with the Pokémon UNITE Championship series, we’ve continued development on a new tournament mode designed to even the playing field for competitors, regardless of their held item grades. Stay tuned, as we’ll soon have more details on what Trainers can expect when this new mode launches.

We’re also pleased to announce that Pokémon UNITE will soon support additional languages. Early this year, Pokémon UNITE will be updated to support Bahasa Indonesia, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Russian, Thai, and Turkish. We look forward to inviting even more Trainers to the world of Pokémon UNITE through this update and through our ongoing work to support more languages.

We hope that you’re all looking forward to what we’ve shared today about the road ahead for Pokémon UNITE. We can’t wait to share more with you in the coming months as we work toward the best experience possible. And as always, we’re grateful for your continued support and interest in Pokémon UNITE.

See you on Aeos Island, Trainers.

Cheers,
Masaaki Hoshino
Producer, Pokémon UNITE

Source: https://unite.pokemon.com/en-us/news/pokemon-unite-producer-letter/

As part of the Play! Pokémon Premier Events to Resume in 2022 announcement, Niantic has announced more details on the Pokémon GO Championship Series that’ll lead to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships.

Your path to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships

Trainers, We’re excited to bring you more details on the Pokémon GO Championship Series that’ll lead to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships! Go head to head with other Trainers to test your skill and strive to be the very best.

In 2022, you’ll be able to participate in live, in-person Pokémon GO competitions, including Regional Championships and International Championships. Top Trainers can earn an invitation to the Pokémon World Championships, prize money, and other exciting rewards!

Who can play in the Pokémon GO Championship Series

Pokémon GO events will be open to players in the Senior and Masters age divisions. Players must be at or above the age of digital consent in their home market in order to participate in Pokémon GO Championship Series events.

Format
The format for the 2022 Pokémon GO Championship Series will be the Great League.

Registration
Trainers will be able to register for Pokémon GO Championship Series events via a two-phase registration window.

• Early Registration: Players who achieve Legend Rank in a GO Battle League season will be able to register for certain events before anyone else during a short early-registration window.
• Open Registration: * Once the early-registration window closes, all remaining spots will be made available for players of any rank.

When to Register
Online registration for the earliest events will open in January 2022. Tournament organizers will handle registration. An entry fee may apply, and events may sell out.

How to Register
To register for Pokémon GO Championship Series events, you’ll need to link your Pokémon GO account to a Trainer Club account and have a Play! Pokémon Player ID.

This account link is separate from the account-linking system used to log in to Pokémon GO.

You’ll be able to link your accounts for Pokémon GO Championship Series registration toward the end of 2021. Details about tournaments will also be available through the Event Locator at that time.

Pokémon GO Championship Series events

Pokémon GO will be featured at select events, including Regional and International Championships. Top Pokémon GO players at these events will win an invitation to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships, and some will even earn a travel award to the World Championships, too! World Championships invites will be distributed at each qualifier as follows for each age division.

Regional Championships

• 1st place: World Championships invite and travel award
• 2nd place: World Championships invite

International Championships

• 1st place: World Championships invite and travel award
• 2nd place: World Championships invite and travel award
• 3rd and 4th place: World Championships invite

Prize money is also awarded at each event.

Visit Pokemon.com to find up-to-date details on qualifier-event locations, dates, prizing, and more.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/pgo-championship-announce-details

Niantic and The Pokémon Company have announced the Pokémon GO Championship Series where top Pokémon GO players at these events will earn an invitation to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships.

Announcing the Pokémon GO Championship Series

Trainers, In our Season 9 blog post, we mentioned that your ranking at the end of this season would be more important than it’s ever been before.

We’re now excited to announce why that is: the first Pokémon GO Championship Series is coming in 2022! Trainers around the globe will have the opportunity to battle against the best and earn an invitation to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships.

During the first year of the Pokémon GO Championship Series, Pokémon GO will be featured at select events, including Regional and International Championships. Top Pokémon GO players at these events will earn an invitation to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships. These Pokémon GO events will have Senior and Master age divisions.

You’ll be able to register for these Play! Pokémon events during a two-phase window. Trainers who achieve Legend rank in the current Pokémon GO Battle League season will be able to register during a short early-registration window, which will take place during the first few months of 2022. Once this window closes, Trainers of any rank can then register for any remaining spots. Trainers will have until Monday, November 29, 2021 to compete in the current GO Battle League season. The next GO Battle League season will grant entry to a second batch of live events.

To register for these events, competitors will need to link their Pokémon GO account to their Pokémon Trainer Club account, have a Play! Pokémon Player ID, and opt in to the Play! Terms of Use.

More information about event schedules, tournament format, prizes, account linking and more will be announced soon on the Play! Pokémon website.

Pokémon GO last took the Pokémon World Championships main stage during the epic exhibition matches in 2019. Since then, the GO Battle League launched, bringing Pokémon GO’s take on Pokémon battles to the global stage, and it’s now been running for nine seasons and counting. With the return of Pokémon GO Trainer Battles to the main stage next year, we’re excited to give GO Battle League competitors a chance to show the world what they’re made of at the Pokémon World Championships.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/pgo-championship-series-announce/?hl=en

The official Pokémon website announced that the next Pokémon TCG, Video Game, and Pokkén Tournament DX World Championships have been moved to 2022 in London, United Kingdom.

Next Pokémon TCG, Video Game, and Pokkén Tournament DX World Championships Moved to 2022 in London

Look forward to an expanded celebration of Pokémon competition next year.

The safety and well-being of our competitors, organizers, employees, local communities, and partners continues to be our top priority and is the primary consideration with every decision we make.

After careful review and pursuant to guidance set forth by local, regional, and national health authorities, as well as the World Health Organization, Public Health England, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have made the difficult decision to move out the next Pokémon World Championships to 2022. This event is planned to take place in London, UK.

With the continued suspension of the Play! Pokémon event series, all sanctioned Play! Pokémon events including League Challenge, League Cup, Premier Challenge, and Midseason Showdown will remain suspended until further notice. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of all our competitors at an expanded 2022 Pokémon World Championships in London. All invitations to the 2020 Pokémon World Championships will be honored for the 2022 World Championships.

We are closely monitoring health mandates, guidelines, and recommendations from appropriate government agencies to determine when the resumption of events and operations will be safe for our communities. We continue to examine each country on a case-by-case basis, informed by the latest updates and mandates issued by appropriate government recommendations and in consultation with medical experts.

Thank you to our millions of players, fans, organizers, and Professors around the world for their continued support and understanding. The Pokémon International Championships and Pokémon World Championships are meaningful occasions to us and the player community, and we look forward to when we can all see each other and compete again.

In addition, we will continue to support competitive online play through our new series, Pokémon Players Cup, the Play! Pokémon Team Challenge, as well as support through our retail partners through League at Home.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/next-pokemon-tcg-video-game-and-pokken-tournament-dx-world-championships-moved-to-2022-in-london/

The Pokémon Company announced today that the 2020 Pokémon Championship Series has been canceled. All invitations to the 2020 Pokémon World Championships will be honored for the 2021 World Championships. Our list of COVID-19 canceled Pokémon Events has been updated with this announcement.

2020 Pokémon Championship Series Canceled

The safety and well-being of our competitors, organizers, employees, local communities, and partners continues to be our top priority and is the primary consideration with every decision we make.

After careful review and pursuant to guidance set forth by local, regional, and national health authorities, as well as the World Health Organization, Public Health England, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 North America International Championships (scheduled for June 26–28 in Columbus, Ohio) and the 2020 Pokémon World Championships (scheduled for August 14–16 in London, United Kingdom).

With the cancelation of these pinnacle events, the 2020 Play! Pokémon Championship Series is suspended and all sanctioned Play! Pokémon events including League, Club, Prerelease, League Challenge, League Cup, Premier Challenge, and Midseason Showdown are canceled until further notice. No Championship Points will be awarded for the remainder of the season. Any points earned up to this point for the current Championship Series will roll over to the 2021 Play! Pokémon Championship Series. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of all our competitors at an expanded 2021 Pokémon World Championships in London. All invitations to the 2020 Pokémon World Championships will be honored for the 2021 World Championships. We are closely monitoring health mandates, guidelines, and recommendations from appropriate government agencies to determine when the resumption of events and operations will be safe for our communities. Further details are being actively worked on and we will communicate them with all of you as soon as they are finalized.

In the meantime, we want to thank our millions of players, fans, organizers, and Professors around the world for their continued support and understanding during these unique circumstances. The Pokémon International Championships and Pokémon World Championships are very special occasions for us, and we know how much they mean to the global Play! Pokémon community. We would like to recognize the hard work and dedication of all our competitors, Professors, and event organizers during the 2020 Play! Pokémon season. We hope that the spirit of friendship and community that are the hallmarks of our amazing fans and these events continue during this challenging time, and that you take care of yourselves and of each other. We can't wait to see you and celebrate with you again.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/2020-pokemon-championship-series-canceled/