The Pokémon Company has announced the initial details for the 2025 Pokémon Championship Series that include adjustments to the World Championships qualifications system, Championship Points (CP) updates, and more.

2025 Pokémon Championship Series Update

Learn about the changes coming to the 2025 Pokémon Championship Series and prepare for your competitive journey this season.

After another exciting season of battles across the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon video games, and Pokémon GO, we’re ready to announce a suite of changes coming to the 2025 circuit that include adjustments to the World Championships qualifications system, Championship Points (CP) updates, and more. The 2025 Pokémon Championship Series will run from July 2024 to May 2025, with the exceptions of the 2025 North America International Championships and the 2025 Pokémon World Championships.

More information regarding the 2025 Pokémon UNITE Championship Series and its place in the broader 2025 Pokémon Championship Series will be shared after the 2024 World Championships in August.

Table of Contents:

• World Championships Qualification Update
• Pokémon VGC Event Names
• Booster Packs and Cash Prizing
• International Championships Travel Prize Update
• Adjusting Swiss Tournament Format and Top Cut
• At-Home Competitions
• Regional Championships and Special Championships Schedule
• International Championships Schedule

World Championships Qualification Update

The qualification system for the Pokémon World Championships is changing for the 2025 season. In 2025, a set number of players from each rating zone, age division, and game will earn an invitation to the World Championships based on their Championship Points leaderboard standings. This update applies to Pokémon TCG, Pokémon video game, and Pokémon GO players. Most recently, invitations were based on a fixed CP threshold that players needed to accumulate to receive an invitation.

In addition to the players who qualify via Championship Points, individual top performers at major events will earn automatic invitations to the Pokémon World Championships. Regional and Special Champions will receive an invitation, and the top four finishers of each International Championships will earn an invitation. Invites earned through this method will not count against the total invitation slots for that player’s rating zone.

As the Pokémon Championship Series continues to grow, this adjustment will provide a variety of long-term benefits. This includes balancing player qualification across all rating zones to foster diverse competition, ensuring that we’re prepared to provide the best competitor experience possible at the Pokémon World Championships, and better supporting the growth of the Pokémon Championship Series as a whole.
We also look forward to sharing more about a Championship Points Season Reward program for Trainers who show great dedication to the Play! Pokémon program, which will operate similar to the fixed CP threshold from recent years.

Pokémon TCG Championship Invitations

Age Division	Junior	Senior	Masters
US and Canada	75	100	125
Europe	75	100	125
Latin America	50	50	100
Oceania	10	10	20
Middle East and South Africa	5	5	10

Pokémon VGC and Pokémon GO Championship Invitations

	Pokémon VGC			Pokémon GO
Age Division	JR	SR	MA
US and Canada	20	20	75	75
Europe	20	20	75	50
Latin America	15	15	50	50
Oceania	10	10	20	10
Middle East and South Africa	–	–	–	–

In conjunction with the new Worlds qualification system, CP tables have been realigned for greater parity across games. Best Finish Limits, Kickers, and prizing have all been updated for clarity. See below for a full CP Table that encompasses Pokémon TCG, Pokémon VGC, and Pokémon GO competitors:

2025 Championship Points: League and Global Challenge

Placement		LEAGUE		VGC Global Challenge
		Challenge	Cup
	BFL →	4	4	3
	Kicker (# of participants)
1	0	15	50	170
2	4	12	40	160
3–4	8	10	32	150
5–8	17	8	25	140
9–16	33	6	20	130
17–32	65	4	16	120
33–64	129		13	80
65–128	257			65
129–256	513			50
257–512	1025			35
513–1024	2049			20

2025 Championship Points: Championship Events

Placement		CHAMPIONSHIPS
		Regional and Special	International
	BFL →	6
	Kicker (# of participants)
1	0	350	750
2	4	325	700
3–4	8	300	650
5–8	17	280	600
9–16	33	160	400
17–32	65	125	350
33–64	129	100	250
65–128	257	80	150
129–256	513	60	120
257–512	1025	40	80
513–1024	2049	20	40

Pokémon VGC Event Names

Pokémon VGC players, take note: two store-level competitions are getting a name change. The Midseason Showdown is now called the Video Game League Cup, and the Premier Challenge is now known as the Video Game League Challenge. This aligns the names more closely to equivalent Pokémon TCG and Pokémon GO events.

Booster Packs and Cash Prizing

Players will receive Pokémon TCG booster packs for competing in Pokémon TCG, Pokémon video game, and Pokémon GO Championship Events. The number of booster packs earned is based on individual placement, as well as the number of participants in an event. Prizing that is dependent on the attendance of the event is referred to as a Kicker. We’re expanding the booster pack prize Kicker in the 2025 season for the majority of Championship Events. Here is the breakdown of booster pack prizes:

	Players per Division
Placement	<33	33–64	65–128	129–256	257–512	513–1024	1025–2048	2049+
1	108	108	108	108	108	108	108	108
2	72	108	108	108	108	108	108	108
3–4	36	72	72	108	108	108	108	108
5–8	18	36	36	72	108	108	108	108
9–16	9	18	36	36	72	72	72	108
17–32			18	18	72	72	72	72
33–64				9	36	36	36	36
65–128					18	18	36	36
129–256						9	18	18
257–512								9

Cash prizes are also on the line at Regional, International, and World Championships. Last year saw a substantial increase, and we’re maintaining these prize values for the 2025 Championship Series season. The format of each prize is dependent on the age of the recipient.

18 years of age and older:

• Awards of $5,000 or more: Choice of scholarship or cash
• Awards under $5,000: Cash

Under 18 years of age:

• Awards of $5,000 or more: Choice of scholarship or Pokémon Visa® Prepaid Card
• Awards under $5,000: Pokémon Visa® Prepaid Card

Prizes and prize distribution may be subject to change. Unless otherwise specified, all prizes are paid in US dollars and are subject to applicable tax withholding. Prize winners should consult a qualified tax professional regarding their tax obligations.

Pokémon TCG Cash Prizes

Regional Championships
Placement	Junior and Senior Division	Masters Division
1	$2,500	$10,000
2	$2,000	$7,000
3–4	$1,000	$5,000
5–8	$750	$3,000
9–16	-	$2,000
17–32	-	$1,000
33–64	-	-

International Championships
Placement	Junior and Senior Division	Masters Division
1	$7,000	$25,000
2	$5,000	$15,000
3–4	$3,000	$10,000
5–8	$2,000	$7,000
9–16	$1,000	$5,000
17–32	$750	$3,000
33–64	-	$2,000

World Championships
Placement	All Age Divisions
1	$50,000
2	$30,000
3–4	$20,000
5–8	$15,000
9–16	$10,000
17–32	$5,000

Pokémon VGC Cash Prizes

Regional Championships
Placement	Junior and Senior Division	Masters Division
1	$1,000	$6,000
2	$750	$4,000
3–4	$500	$2,000
5–8	-	$1,000
9–16	-	$750

International Championships
Placement	Junior and Senior Division	Masters Division
1	$5,000	$15,000
2	$3,000	$10,000
3–4	$2,000	$7,000
5–8	$1,000	$5,000
9–16	-	$3,000
17–32	-	$2,000

World Championships
Placement	All Age Divisions
1	$30,000
2	$20,000
3–4	$15,000
5–8	$10,000
9–16	$5,000

Pokémon GO Cash Prizes

Placement	Regional Championships	International Championships	World Championships
1	$2,500	$5,000	$20,000
2	$2,000	$3,000	$15,000
3	$1,500	$2,000	$13,000
4	$1,200	$1,500	$12,000
T-5	$1,000	$1,200	$9,000
T-7	$750	$1,000	$5,000
T-9	-	$800	$2,000
T-13	-	$600	$1,000
T-17	-	$500	-
T-25	-	$400	-

Prizes and products are subject to change, and substitutions may be made due to unforeseen inventory shortages.

International Championships Travel Prize Updates

We’re also making updates to Travel Prizes for qualifying players in the 2025 season. We are expanding the Travel Rewards program to Pokémon GO competitors, and have also added new prize tiers for Pokémon TCG, Pokémon video game, and Pokémon GO players that provide Priority Registration for top participants. Priority Registration was already a part of the Travel Award and Travel Stipend benefit and will be maintained for those tiers as well.

	TCG		VGC		GO
	Out of Region	In Region	Out of Region	In Region	Out of Region	In Region
1st – 4th	$3,500 (18+)	$2,000 (18+)	$3,500 (18+)	$2,000 (18+)	$3,500 (18+)	$2,000 (18+)
	$5,000 (U-18)	$2,500 (U-18)	$5,000 (U-18)	$2,500 (U-18)	$5,000 (U-18)	$2,500 (U-18)
5th – 8th	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000	Priority Registration	Priority Registration
9th – 16th	$1,000	$1,000	Priority Registration	Priority Registration	Priority Registration	Priority Registration
17th – 32nd	Priority Registration	Priority Registration

Players can qualify for Travel Prizes to the International Championships based on their performance and their standing in Championship Points in their home rating zone during stand-alone qualification periods. Players in the Russia, Middle East, and South Africa rating zone are not eligible for Travel Awards, Travel Stipends, or Priority Registration. To ensure there are no delays in receiving Travel Awards, players should check to make sure the information on their Play! Pokémon accounts is accurate and up to date. Players are fully responsible for booking their own hotel and travel.

Adjusting Swiss Tournament Format and Top Cut

Similar to the 2024 World Championships, shifts to the Swiss tournament format and method for determining which players advance to the top cut will continue throughout the rest of the 2025 Championship Series season.

For Special Championships, Regional Championships, International Championships, and the World Championships, Pokémon TCG and video game tournaments will be played in a more conventional Swiss round count plus an additional round, rather than the modified version of the Swiss format used in recent seasons.

Number of Participants	Total Swiss Rounds	Day 1 Swiss Rounds	Day 2 Match Points Threshold	Day 2 Swiss Rounds
33–64	7	7	N/A	0
65–128	8	6	12	2
129–256	9	7	15	2
257–512	10	8	18	2
513–1024	11	8	18	3
1025–2048	12	8	18	4
2049–4096	13	9	21	4
4097–8192	14	9	21	5

Swiss round breakdown details for tournaments with fewer than 33 participants will be clarified at a later date. After all Swiss rounds are completed, the Top 8 competitors, plus all competitors with the same number of match points as 8th place (to a maximum of 32), will advance into an asymmetrical top cut single-elimination bracket to determine the winner of the event.

Overall, this change to Swiss will promote more streamlined tournament days to improve both the flow of the event and potential daily fatigue. For top cut, this update allows competitors a way to better advance in a tournament based on their skills while reducing factors that are partially out of their control, such as the opponent’s match win percentage.

At-Home Competitions

More online tournaments are coming in the 2025 season, giving players more opportunities to make progress toward earning an invitation to the Pokémon World Championships. Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet players can look forward to more Global Challenge events throughout the season.

Pokémon UNITE will also continue to be supported by online tournaments as a part of its path to Worlds, with additional details to be announced alongside the rest of the UNITE Championship Series information.

Regional Championships and Special Championships

All Regional Championships and Special Championships are planned to feature the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon video games, and Pokémon GO.

Regional Championships main events will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Event listings that include a Friday date feature side events and smaller competitions on that day.

Special Championships award the same number of Championship Points as a Regional Championships, but all other rewards are at the discretion of the event organizer. Special Championships are noted in green on the schedule below.

The event schedule will be updated as more events are announced.

Regional Championships and Special Championships Schedule

Date	Venue	Location
Sept. 13–15, 2024	Baltimore Convention Center	1 W Pratt St Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
Sept. 28–29, 2024	Westfalenhallen	Rheinlanddamm 200 44139 Dortmund Germany
Sept. 28–29, 2024	Convention and Exhibition Center Expoville	R. XV de Novembro 4315 – Glória Joinville - SC, 89216-201 Brazil
Oct. 5–6, 2024	Centro de Convenciones de la Cámara de Comercio de Lima, Perú	v. Giuseppe Garibaldi 396 Jesús María 15072 Lima Peru
Oct. 11–13, 2024	Kentucky International Convention Center	221 S 4th St Louisville, KY 40202 USA
Oct. 19–20, 2024	Lille Grand Palais	1 Bd des Cités Unies 59777 Lille France
Nov. 2–3, 2024	Amberexpo	Żaglowa 11 80-560 Gdańsk Poland
Nov. 9–10, 2024	Centro Vasco - Salon Basaldua	Av. Belgrano 1144 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Argentina
Nov. 22–24, 2024	SAFE Convention Center	1401 K St Sacramento, CA 95814 USA
Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2024	Messe Stuttgart	Messepiazza 1 70629 Stuttgart Germany
Dec. 7–8, 2024	Radisson Bogotá Metrotel	74 St 13-27 Localidad de Chapinero Bogotá Colombia
Dec. 13–15, 2024	Metro Toronto Convention Centre	255 Front St W Toronto, ON M5V 2W6 Canada

Dates, locations, and formats subject to change. Check back for additional Regional Championships and Special Championships as they are announced.

International Championships Schedule

The International Championships return to their host cities from the 2024 season. Once again, the Latin America International Championships will take place in São Paulo, Brazil, in November 2024. Then London will play host to the Europe International Championships in February 2025, a couple months earlier in the year than it has been recently. Meanwhile, the North America International Championships will return to New Orleans in June 2025.

Fans planning to head to New Orleans for the 2025 North America International Championships can also take advantage of a special benefit—you can get discounted rates at hotels close to the event location and get a head start on planning for next year's competition! We will be sharing more details on this later to support those booking travel.

International Championships Dates and Locations

Event	Date	Venue	Location
Latin America International Championships	Nov. 15–17, 2024	Expo Center Norte – Vermelho Hall 1	José Bernardo Pinto Street 333 – Vila Guilherme São Paulo – SP 02055-000 Brazil
Europe International Championships	Feb. 21–23, 2025	ExCeL Center London	1 Western Gateway London E16 1XL United Kingdom
North America International Championships	June 13–15, 2025	Ernest N. Morial Convention Center	900 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA 70130 USA

The Play! Pokémon program is committed to creating the best possible experience for Pokémon competitors and fans. We look forward to the 2025 Championship Series season and working with our global community as the program continues to evolve for years to come.

Many more exciting updates are in store for the Championship Series, including information about the 2025 Pokémon UNITE Championship Series, community-focused side event experiences, as well as the remaining 2025 season Regional and Special Championships. Please expect to hear more after the 2024 World Championships!

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/2025-pokemon-championship-series-update#world-championships-qualification-update