2025-2026 Season

World Invites 

For 2026, the following players will receive direct invites to Worlds based on their Championship Point total:

• USA & Canada: top 80 Juniors / top 100 Seniors / top 135 Masters
• Europe: top 80 Juniors / top 100 Seniors / top 135 Masters
• Latin America: top 50 Juniors / top 50 Seniors / top 125 Masters
• Oceania: top 10 Juniors / top 10 Seniors / top 20 Masters
• Middle East & South Africa: top 5 Juniors / top 5 Seniors / top 10 Masters

Additionally, direct invites will be awarded to the following high finishers in Championship events regardless of their final Championship Point total:

• Special Championships: 1st place
• Regional Championships: 1st place
• International Championships: 1st through 4th place

Direct invites do not pass down -- if a competitor who has already received a direct invite for Worlds would earn a direct invite at one of these events, the runner-up will not receive a direct invite.

The top four finishers from the previous season’s World Championships will also earn a direct invite.

International Championship Locations

The following International Championships have been announced so far:

• Nov. 21-23, Pokémon Latin America International Championships, São Paulo, Brazil
• Feb. 13-15, 2026 Pokémon Europe International Championships, London, UK
• Jun 12-14, 2026 Pokémon North America International Championships, New Orleans, Louisiana

Regional Locations

The following Regional Championships have been announced so far:

• Sept. 13–14, Frankfurt Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Frankfurt, Germany
• Sept. 13-14, Monterrey Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Monterrey, México
• Sept. 18–21, Pittsburgh Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Pittsburgh, PA
• Oct. 9–12, Milwaukee Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Milwaukee, WI
• Oct. 11–12, Belo Horizonte Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Oct. 25–26, Lille Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Lille, France
• Nov. 1–2, Gdansk Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Gdansk, Poland
• Nov. 13–16, Las Vegas Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Las Vegas, NV
• Nov. 15–16, Buenos Aires Pokémon Special Event 2026, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Nov. 29–30, Stuttgart Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Stuttgart, Germany
• Jan. 23-25, Birmingham Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Birmingham, UK
• Jan. 24-25, Mérida Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Mérida, México
• Jan. 24-25, Auckland Pokémon Special Event 2026, Auckland, New Zeland
• Feb. 7-8, Santiago Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Santiago, Chile
• Mar. 27-29, Seville Pokémon Special Event 2026, Seville, Spain
• Apr. 4-5, Querétaro Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Querétaro, México
• May 15-17, Utrecht Pokémon Regional Championships 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands
• May 23-24, Lima Pokémon Special Event 2026, Lima, Peru

Adjusting Swiss Tournament Rounds

After analyzing data from the 2025 season and taking Trainer feedback into consideration, the Swiss format used for Pokémon TCG and Pokémon video game Regional Championships, Special Championships, International Championships, and World Championships will undergo a variety of changes.

All age divisions at these tournaments, if they have at least 65 participants, will have one additional round of Swiss pairings. This additional round will make it more likely that Trainers with records of X-2 or better (such as 9-0, 8-1, or 7-2) will reach asymmetrical Top 8. This additional Swiss round will also improve the tournament experience as competitors vie for top-cut placements and cash prizes in the final matches of Swiss phase two.

For most age divisions, Swiss phase one will feature eight Swiss-tournament rounds, with rounds scheduled to either conclude on Day 1 or continue into Day 2 of a tournament. Since this can fluctuate, it’s best to review each tournament’s schedule as provided by the Tournament Organizer.

In an effort to smooth out tournament proceedings, asymmetrical Top 8 will now be capped at 16 total participants (compared to the 32 total participant slots from the 2025 season), regardless of the number of competitors tied with the 8th-place competitor. Tournament results and community feedback pertaining to this change will continue to be closely monitored.

Changes to End of Round Procedures

During the 2025 season, when a round’s time limit expired, each player was granted three additional turns to finish their current game. If neither competitor achieved a result in those turns, the game was ruled a draw and the match scored accordingly: a 1–0 game gave the leading player the match win, while a 1–1 or 0–0 outcome counted as a tie.

This extra-turn procedure created logistical headaches because there was no clock on those three turns. Players tended to prolong their moves during overtime, making round schedules unpredictable and often still ending in draws. To simplify operations and reduce unintended ties, the following changes will take effect:

• Once time is called, each player gets one full turn: first the active player finishes their move, then the opponent takes theirs.
• If no winner emerges by the end of those two turns, the game is a draw.
• A 10-minute “overtime clock” will run during this final exchange. If play isn’t finished when it expires, the game is declared a draw.

Changes to End of Round Procedures

Slight tweaks have been made to Championship Points and Kickers for Grand Challenges, Global Challenges, League Challenges, and Regional, Special, and International Championship events:

• Grand Challenges and Global Challenges now offer separate rewards per rating zone, creating more opportunities to earn Championship Points in lower-rated brackets.
• League Challenge Kickers have been recalibrated to align with average attendance levels.
• Additional Championship Points have been allocated to competitors placing 9th through 64th at Championship events.