Everything to Know About the Pokémon Tournament Circuit

13th September 2024 EDT FEATURES

Everything to Know About the Pokémon TCG Tournament Circuit

The 2024-25 Pokémon TCG season starts with the Baltimore Regionals on 13-15 September 2024.

With the 2024-25 Pokémon TCG tournament season just about to get underway, players from all over the world will be taking part in official tournaments at various levels. There’ll be players of almost all skill levels rocking up to the tournament venues—from those who just want a first experience of tournament play to those who have a legitimate shot at winning the 2025 Pokémon TCG World Championships.

No matter how small, every official Pokémon TCG tournament is part of the broader Pokémon TCG tournament circuit that culminates in Worlds every August. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Pokémon TCG tournament circuit and how it works.

The Pokémon Company (TPC) and The Pokémon Company International (TPCi)

Before we discuss the details about the tournaments themselves, we first need to make a distinction between The Pokémon Company (TPC) and The Pokémon Company International (TPCi).

TPC is the main company responsible for the production, brand management, publishing, licensing, and marketing of everything related to the Pokémon franchise in Asia. It therefore serves as the official governing body of all Pokémon tournaments, including Pokémon TCG tournaments, held in Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.

TPCi performs a similar function in areas outside Japan and Asia-Pacific. It was established as a subsidiary of TPC which specifically caters to all things Pokémon-related outside Asia. Therefore, TPCi is the authority overseeing all Pokémon TCG tournaments which are not held in Japan or the rest of Asia-Pacific.

Therefore, there are actually two separate Pokémon TCG tournament circuits: one in Japan and Asia-Pacific, another in the rest of the world. It’s only at Worlds that both circuits converge.

Pokémon TCG Tournaments in Japan and Asia-Pacific

As is the case in the rest of the world, the lowest-level Pokémon TCG tournaments in Japan and Asia-Pacific are those held in individual stores and other small venues. In Japan, there are also City League tournaments which are a step up from the aforementioned low-tier tournaments.

Players who have accumulated sufficient achievements at these tournaments may then proceed to a Champions League tournament (Japan) or a Regional League tournament (Asia-Pacific). These tournaments are the next step up and the second-largest of all Pokémon TCG tournaments in Japan and Asia-Pacific.

Near the end of the Pokémon TCG tournament season, certain countries will hold National Championships which also serve as the last chance for players to clinch a spot at Worlds. The countries which do so are as follows: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

With the exceptions of the National Championships of China, Japan, and South Korea, players who reside in other Asia-Pacific countries are permitted to take part in the National Championship of a country other than their own.

Players from countries outside Japan and Asia-Pacific are only permitted to participate in Pokémon TCG tournaments in these regions if they are full-time residents of one of those countries.

Pokémon TCG Tournaments in the Rest of the World

Unlike Japan and Asia-Pacific, Pokémon TCG tournaments in the rest of the world involve the use of the Championship Points (CP) system. The smallest tournaments awarding the fewest points are League Challenge tournaments; a step up from these are League Cup tournaments.

Another level up in scope from League Cup tournaments are Regional Championships. Regional Championships are approximately on par with Champions League and Regional League tournaments in Japan and Asia-Pacific respectively. On a similar tier are Special Events which are held in areas where Regional Championships are not held.

The most prestigious tournaments of the TPCi Pokémon TCG tournament circuit which award the most points are International Championships.

There are three International Championships held every season—the Pokémon Latin America International Championships (LAIC), the Pokémon Europe International Championships (EUIC), and the Pokémon North America International Championships (NAIC). These events award the most Championship Points of all.

Players from Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries are permitted to take part in tournaments outside those regions if they are full-time residents of such a country.

Qualification for Worlds

The qualification methods for the World Championships differ by region. In Japan and Asia-Pacific, players qualify for Worlds by achieving high-ranking finishes at their countries’ respective National Championships. Elsewhere, players who are among the highest-ranking players on the Championship Point leaderboard at season’s end would also have punched their tickets to Worlds.

It’s also possible for players to bypass these requirements and directly qualify for Worlds if they have fulfilled any of the following criteria:

• Regional Event winner
• Special Event winner
• International Championship top 4 finisher
• Top 4 finisher at the previous year’s World Championships
• Top 4 finisher in the Senior age division (13-17) at the previous year’s World Championships who has aged into the Masters (18+) division

In previous years, the highest-ranking qualifiers were awarded first-round byes at Worlds. However, this is no longer the case.

That more or less covers all the basics about the Pokémon TCG tournament circuit. The tournament over the coming year are certain to have their shares of twists and turns on the road to the World Championships in Anaheim next August.

Which players and what decks will go on to claim ultimate Pokémon TCG glory this season? There’s only one way to find out—so let’s watch the season unfold and discover how everything plays out.

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