The Pokemon World Championship Has Become So Much More Than A Tournament

After last year’s event in Japan, it was hard to imagine how this year’s Pokemon World Championship in Hawaii could possibly measure up. The 2023 World Championship in Yokohama - the first WCS ever in Japan - was treated like a homecoming for Pokemon, and it was a major, city-wide event. It’sꦕ impossible to overstate the size and scale of the celebration. Every single restaurant, storefront, and street sign was Pokemon themed. They even put Grimer on the manhole covers. It was a huge deal for Japan, and being there for the tournament felt really special.

The 2024 World Championship in Honolulu was not like that. The decoraꦰtions and festivities were not sprawling all across the city like they were the previous year, but instead relegated to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a massive, five-tower resort near the convention center where the tournament was held. This was to be expected, of course, and when I arrived at the resort a few days before the event, I was preparing myself for a wonderful, but perhaps slightly less magical experience ꦫthan the year before. There was no way TPCi was going to outdo Japan, after all. I can’t even imagine what it would cost to ship manhole covers.

The 2012 Pokemon 🥀World Championship was actually held at t♚he Hilton Hawaiian Village itself, back when Worlds only hosted a few dozen competitors.

But without the backdrop of the birthplace of Pikachu painting the experience, I could really see Pokemon Worlds for 🌊what it was this year, or rather, what it’s become. While once a small gathering of the most dedicated and elite competitive Pokemon players in the world, the World Championship has become the ultimate fan experience for Pokemon fansꦬ - one that caters to the interests of all competitors, collectors, and casual Poke-appreciators alike.

It’s great to see Worlds expanding this way. There’s always been a bit of an inverse relationship between the competition and the fanbase. Between games, anime, and merchandise, Pokemon has become the biggest media franchise in the world, and its fans represent a plethora of interests and identities. Playing Pokemon competitively is perhaps the most niche way to engage with the IP, yet the Pokemon World Championships have long represented the largest gathering and celebration of Pokemon anywhere in the world. How do the rest of the Pokemon fans, who may not be interested in c﷽ompetitive play, celebrate their fandom? For a long time, there hasn’♚t really been an answer to that question.

You could see Pokemon Worlds starting to make an effort to include other kinds of fans at 2022’s event in London. There we saw the first ever Trainer Town, with activities, photo ops, and fun aimed at families and young Pokemon fans - the people who come to Worlds to support the competitive players in their families, but may not be invested in competitive Pokemon themselves. The Trainer Town concept returned in 2023 at Matsuri Park in Yokohama, and Honolulu had its🥂 own version this year at Hilton Hawaiian Village, filled with lawn games, photo ops, and a big screen where you could watch the tournament.

As always, TPCi makes an effort to include the culture of 🌠the hosting city. This year’s event started with a Lei Untying ceremony, and local Hawaiians were allowed to visit Trainer Town before tournament attendee🦄s.

While the schedule for activities wasn’t quite as robust as it was last year in Japan, there were still plenty of things for Pokemon fans to see and do. Most notable was the✅ nightly , a 10-minute spectacle displayed over Waikiki Beach. Pokemon Worlds has featured some impressive shows in the past, but this one of the coolest.

The resort also featured the Pokemon Trainer Lab, a learn-to-play experience you’ll commonly find at gaming conventions like PAX where beginners can get a Pokemon TCG lesson and earn some prizes𓄧. Right next door to the Trainer Lab, artisan skateboard maker Bear Walker could be found making skateboards live and signing autographs. His new Skateboard featuring snorkeling Pikachu was the hottest item at the pop-up Pokemon ൲Center at the convention center.

Speaking of the Pokemon Center, TPCi really went all out with the shopping experience this year. The pop-up was filled with new merch and Worlds exclusives, as well as live music, art installations, and incredible photo ops like the Bear Walker half pipe. For a lot of Worlds attendees the Pokemon Center visit has become the main event, and I fin🧸d it hard to disagree.

That’s not to shortchange the actual tournament, which has developed into one of the most well organized and respected esports organizations out there. This year’s broadcast featured a new stream overlay with tons of info and data that mad🌜e it easier than ever to follow the tournament. From the set dressing, to the casters, to the direction, the production quality 🅘was top notch this year - TCG controversy not-withstanding.

Beyond the tournament, the activities, and the decorations, what makes Worlds so special is the people and the energy they bring. There’s nothing like walking around the city and seeing everyone dressed up in their favorite Pokemon outfits, playing Pokemon Go, and talking about the tournament. Worlds is the closest thing we have to something like Disneyland, where Pokemℱon fans can gather t൩o proudly celebrate the characters, stories, and culture they love.

I’m excited to see Pokemon Worlds continue to grow in this direction, until one day it’s eqꦿual parts fan convention and world championship. Next year’s Worlds is back in Anaheim, California for the first time since 2017, when around 3,500 attendees came to play and watch Pokemon TCG, VGC, and Pokken Tournament. It will be interesting to see the difference eight years has made and how much the fandom has grown, and what TPCi 🦋will do to welcome not just competitors, but every kind of Pokemon fan.