Pokémon is more than just a game. It’s an entire community of fans both young and old who want to catch ‘em all. What you may not know is that however you engage with Pokémon, chances are there’s a way to take your fandom to the next level by participating in all sorts of Pokémon organised play events.
Whether a lifelong veteran or a brand new fan, here are the best ways to play Pokémon and participate in an ever-growing community. It all starts with finding your local Play! Pokémon store. They’re the perfect place to learn how to play, meet like-minded people, and level up your skills. It’s all about having fun!
It can be intimidating to get into a trading card game that’s been going since 1996, but Pokémon makes it easy to immerse yourself in all things TCG and begin participating in events.
A great place to start is at a Prerelease event. Prereleases provide a great opportunity to learn the rules of the game, build a deck, and play in a friendly, casual environment. As a bonus, you get to go home with cards from a brand new expansion before anyone else!
League Nights are where you can bring along your deck to test it against other players. These weekly gatherings offer a relaxed environment where you can trade cards, and play against fellow Pokémon fans. This is where you can really learn the ins and outs of the game in a welcoming environment.
Once you’ve become familiar with the rules of the Pokémon TCG, there are monthly events that really put your skills to the test. These tournaments are known as League Challenges, where you can earn prizes and get to spend quality time with other players. There are also League Cups, high-level local tournaments which are perfect for forging your path to becoming a true Pokémon master.
Celebrating 10 years in 2026, Pokémon GO turns your everyday world into a Pokémon-filled wonderland. It’s the closest you can get to becoming a real-life Pokémon trainer, filling your Pokédex on your quest to become the ultimate Pokémon master. Through your screen, Pokémon appear in your surroundings, and you can catch, train, and battle them.
Anyone can pick up and play Pokémon GO. All you have to do is download the game for free on any mobile device. GO features monthly global community days, which encourage players to play together and feature more frequent Pokémon spawns. Plus, there are increased chances to encounter and catch highly-coveted shiny Pokémon.
Pokémon League events aren’t exclusive to the TCG either. Your local Play! Store will have Pokémon GO League Challenges, which provide entry-level events to test your skills, and even Pokémon GO League Cup Tournaments, where you can really dig in and strive to be the very best.
One of the newest ways to play is Pokémon Champions, which launched in April 2026. It’s a free-to-play game available on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, as well as iOS and Android devices. It’s a game all about good old fashioned Pokémon battles; you assemble your favorite Pokémon (via Pokemon HOME or by recruiting them in-game), and battle opponents from all around the world in 2-on-2 battles.
There are events at your local Play! Store where you can play Champions. All you need to do is bring your Nintendo Switch to your store’s Video Game Challenge. These are entry-level tournaments that provide a fun atmosphere, and also an opportunity to play alongside fellow gamers to ease yourself into competitive play. From there, you can participate in in-person Video Game Cups – higher-level tournaments where you can play among friends and bring out your very best Pokémon to win prizes.
Whether you prefer the TCG, Pokémon GO, or Pokemon Champions, the opportunities to be involved in the Pokémon organised play community are limitless. So find your local Play! Store and explore fresh ways to be a part of Pokémon today.
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