On September 20th, 2016, The Pokémon Company International revealed that more details and changes to Play! Pokémon for the upcoming 2017 season.

Pokémon Introducing More Ways to Compete and Win Across the Globe for the 2017 Play! Pokémon Season

Pokémon Trading Card Game and video game players have more opportunities to earn Championship Points and a coveted invitation to the 2017 Pokémon World Championships

As Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game players begin preparing for the 2017 Play! Pokémon season, The Pokémon Company International today announced a full slate of all-new competitive events.

With the introduction of two International Championships that are open to all players worldwide, plus additional local events to make it even easier to jump into the Play! Pokémon program, 2017 is positioned to be one of Pokémon’s biggest competitive seasons ever.

At the core of the Play! Pokémon season is the Pokémon Championship Series, consisting of season-wide Pokémon TCG and video game events where players earn Championship Points towards a potential invitation and Travel Award to the Pokémon World Championships, taking place August 2017 in Anaheim, California. Players will also vie for a piece of a cumulative prize pool worth more than $5 million across all Pokémon Championship Series events.

New for the 2017 season, Pokémon is introducing two International Championships that are open to all players across the world, giving Pokémon TCG and video game players opportunities to play, win prizes, and earn Championship Points. The first event, the European leg of the Pokémon International Championships, will take place 9–11 December 2016, at ExCeL London, United Kingdom. The three-day event will give Pokémon video game players their first chance to battle in a sanctioned event using Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon (launching 23 November). Pokémon TCG players will also have their first chance to battle with the Pokémon TCG: XY—Evolutions expansion launching later this year.

Beginning this October, the Pokémon Regional Championships kick off with a full schedule of events coming to cities in North America and Europe. As with the International Championships, Regional Championships are open to Pokémon TCG and video game players regardless of their country of origin and will feature larger prize pools and more Championship Points at each tournament. Pokémon TCG players will also have an expanded slate of local events coming to participating hobby shops around the world. Attending League Cup events is a great way for new Pokémon TCG players to get in on the action and hone their skills for larger events throughout the year.

Pokémon video game players can look forward to more local events as well, including the return of Premier Challenge and Midseason Showdown events. Premier Challenges will provide players with frequent opportunities to play at local events and to try out new strategies at smaller events. Midseason Showdowns are larger events that will give players the opportunity to compete for a greater number of Championship Points in their local area.