Pokémon World Championship 2026 heads to San Francisco

Pokémon has announced that the Pokémon World Championship 2026 will take place alongside a new fan experience in San Francisco, California.

Scheduled from August 28th to 30th, players from across the world will compete in a variety of video games and trading card tournaments.

Unveiled on February 27th as part of a Pokémon Presents presentation marking the 30th anniversary of the franchise, the inaugural PokémonXP event runs alongside the World Championship where fans can participate in a range of activities, including cosplay competitions and workshops.

The Pokémon World Championship features a variety of titles hosting tournaments. Pokémon Go and Pokémon UNITE will have dedicated tournaments to decide the world’s best players, while Pokémon Champions makes its competitive debut.

In addition to the video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game will also feature a tournament crowning the card game’s best player.

“The 2026 Pokémon World Championships will once again welcome nearly 3,000 competitors from all over the world,” said Chris Brown, Director of Global Esports and Events at The Pokémon Company. “As the world Championships evolved, we saw an opportunity to expand even further and deliver a one-of-a-kind experience where Trainers around the world can come together in celebrating their fandom.”

The final matches for each tournament will take place at the Chase Center, a venue that’s no stranger to the world of esports. In 2022, the venue hosted the League of Legends World Championship Final, with T1 lifting the trophy.

The Pokémon esports scene has continued to grow, with several events taking place across the world. Last year’s World Championship saw Giovanni Cischke, Riley McKay, and the South American side of PERÚ win the event’s VGC, TCG, and UNITE tournaments.

2024’s VGC remains one of the most-watched Pokémon esports events of all time. According to Esports Charts, the event recorded peak viewing figures of 123,878 viewers, an increase of 39% compared to 2023’s event, which peaked at 74,354.

With the Chase Center playing host to the final events of this year’s World Championship, Pokémon esports continues to show signs of positive growth as more players compete in its titles.