The Pokémon World Championship 2025, held in Anaheim, California over the past weekend, showcased the pinnacle of competitive Pokémon across four distinct competitions. Top trainers from around the globe gathered to battle for supremacy in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Video Game Championship (VGC), Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE.
VGC Masters Sees All-American Sweep
In the VGC Masters division, an all-American final saw Giovanni Cischke triumph over James Evans in a thrilling 2-1 victory, marking Cischke’s first major tournament win. The American dominance continued throughout the VGC category, with Luke Whittier claiming the Juniors title and Kevin Han securing the Seniors division championship.
Canadian Riley McKay Dominates TCG Competition
The Trading Card Game competition witnessed an impressive performance from Canadian player Riley McKay, who overcame Justin Newdorf in the finals. This victory earned McKay his first world championship title along with a substantial R685,000 prize. In other TCG divisions, China’s Liao Fuguan captured the Seniors title, while Japan’s Yuya Okita emerged victorious in the Junior division.
South American Squad PERÚ Conquers UNITE Championship
Despite a modest second-place finish in their initial group, South American team PERÚ staged an extraordinary comeback to claim the Pokémon UNITE championship. Their path to victory included defeating Luminosity Gaming in the semi-finals before overcoming Japanese powerhouse ZETA Division in the finals. This achievement represents a significant improvement from their previous top-eight finish.
Indian Player Makes History in Pokémon GO
Ved ‘Beelzeboy’ Bamb from India made history by becoming the first Indian player to win an esports world championship. After finishing fourth in last year’s competition, Beelzeboy defeated Leo ‘P4T0M4N’ Marín with scores of 3-1 and 3-2 to secure the Pokémon GO championship title.
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San Francisco to Host 2026 Championships
The 2026 Pokémon World Championships will move to San Francisco’s Chase Center, a venue previously used for major esports events including the 2022 League of Legends World Championship. Multi-day passes will become available from 17 September.
The 2026 event will feature the debut of Pokémon Champions as a competitive game, with the new free-to-play strategy title replacing the traditional VGC format. The game will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.
Additionally, a new fan experience called Pokémon XP will be held at the Moscone Center, offering various activities and attractions for Pokémon enthusiasts.