The Pokémon Company International has announced the details for the Pokémon Players Cup III which begins in begins January 2021 and includes the TCG and Video Games.

Pokémon Players Cup III Begins January 2021, Includes TCG and Video Games

Get the info you need to participate in and watch the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, and Pokkén Tournament DX competition.

Get ready, Trainers! The Pokémon Players Cup III online tournament is approaching. This exciting competition will take place January through April 2021, and it will see some of the best Pokémon Trainers from around the world square off to win prizes and glory. Participation in the Pokémon Players Cup III is open to all Masters Division players, and the tournament will take place entirely online.

There will be three separate competitions in the Pokémon Players Cup III—one featuring the Pokémon Trading Card Game, one featuring the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games, and one featuring the Pokkén Tournament DX video game.

Eligible competitors can earn their places in the Region Qualifiers through qualifying events. To participate in these events, players MUST have a Pokémon Trainer Club account and have a Player ID by January 18 at 10:00 a.m. PST. Pokémon TCG players also need to have logged in to the Pokémon TCG Online with a Player ID attached to their PTC account between October 18 and January 18 to participate.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video game players will battle in the Pokémon Players Cup III Qualifier to lock in a spot for the Region Qualifiers. Video game players need to have linked their Pokémon Trainer Club account to their Nintendo account before the Pokémon Players Cup III Qualifier begins.

Pokémon TCG players will compete in tournaments during a qualifying period in the Pokémon TCG Online.

Pokkén Tournament DX players will compete in Online Qualifiers within their region. All players will be required to register online before the qualification date and will need an account with both Discord and Battlefy to participate.

All Pokémon Players Cup III events will be streamed so fans can watch the thrilling battles and cheer on their favorite competitors. You can follow along on www.pokemon.com, on Twitch, or on YouTube. Our team of experts will be on hand to provide insightful commentary on all the action. G

Good luck, Trainers!

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/pokemon-players-cup-iii-begins-january-2021-includes-tcg-and-video-games/

Pokémon Players Cup III: Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Video Game Event Information

Masters Division Pokémon Trainers competing in the third Pokémon Players Cup for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will battle through several tournament phases. Battles in each phase will adhere to current Pokémon Video Game Championships rules.

In the first phase, players will compete to maximize their placement in the Pokémon Players Cup III Qualifier, which will take place from Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. PST through Sunday, January 17, 2021, at 3:59 p.m. PST. The top players by rating zone—after removing ineligible players—will advance to be able to register for the Pokémon Players Cup III Region Qualifiers. Players will need to link their Nintendo Account to their Pokémon Trainer Club account before the competition to be eligible.

More information about the Pokémon Players Cup III Qualifier will be released at a later date.

Players Advancing from the Pokémon Players Cup III Qualifier

• North America rating zone (US and Canada): 256 players
• Europe rating zone (Europe): 256 players
• Latin America rating zone (Latin America and Caribbean): 256 players
• Oceania rating zone (Oceania): 128 players

The Oceania rating zone comprises only Australia and New Zealand.

In March, these players will compete in a Region Qualifier within their region (based on rating zone, excluding South Africa and Russia). Each Region Qualifier will be a separate double-elimination bracket taking place over two weekends so that play times can be optimized by rating zone. Players will be required to register their team online before the first Region Qualifier date and will need an account with both Discord and Battlefy to participate.

Matches will be best of three and will use the Ranked Battles rules. Specific details on rules and report times will be available closer to the event.

Check back for full tournament rules at a later date.

Pokémon Players Cup III Region Qualifier Schedule

March 20: Double-elimination bracket play until 16 players remain in each region
March 27: Bracket play continues until 4 players remain in each region

Pokémon Players Cup III Global Finals

The Global Finals will include 16 players—4 from each Region Qualifier. The finals will be a new double-elimination bracket, and players will be able to submit a new team list. The Global Finals will be played on April 10­–11 at a time to be determined and sent to finalists via email.

Pokémon Players Cup III Eligibility

The following players will not be eligible to participate in the Region Qualifiers.

• Players who were born in 2005 or later (Junior and Senior Divisions, based on the 2021 season)
• Players who reside outside countries supported by the following Play! Pokémon rating zones: North America (US and Canada), Europe, Latin America, and Oceania
• Players who have not opted in to the Play! Pokémon Terms of Use
• Players who are unable to abide by the VGC tournament rules

Additional eligibility rules may apply.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/pokemon-players-cup-iii/vg-event-info/

Pokémon Players Cup III: Pokémon TCG Event Information

Pokémon Trading Card Game matches for the Pokémon Players Cup III will take place via the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Eligible Masters Division players will compete through several tournament phases for glory, bragging rights, and prizes.

In the first phase, players will compete to reach the top of their rating zone's Pokémon TCG Online Tournament Rep leaderboard in the Standard format for the month of February 2021. The top players in each rating zone—after removing ineligible players—will advance and be able to register for the Pokémon Players Cup III Region Qualifiers. There is no charge to register.

Pokémon Players Cup III and the February Leaderboard

The Players Cup III will continue to use the new feature first rolled out for the second Players Cup. All eligible players will have 50 Tournament Keys added to their Pokémon TCG Online account prior to the start of the open qualifier period, which runs from January 26 at 10:00 a.m. PST to February 26 at 9:59 a.m. PST. Each Tournament Key provides one entry into a special Standard format Pokémon Players Cup III qualifier tournament queue. No additional Tournament Keys will be distributed during the qualifier period, so every eligible player will have the same number of chances to qualify during the Pokémon Players Cup III open qualifier phase!

Additionally, Tournament Rep awards will be disabled for all other Standard format tournament queues for the duration of the qualification period, so the only players that will appear on the February Standard format Tournament Rep leaderboard will be those participating in the Pokémon Players Cup III qualifier tournaments.

In order to receive these Tournament Keys, a player must meet all the eligibility requirements and have logged in to the Pokémon TCG Online with a Pokémon Trainer Club account that has a linked Player ID between the dates of October 18, 2020, and January 18, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. PST. Tournament Keys will appear in accounts on January 25.

As a reminder, starting with the second Players Cup, the way Tournament Rep is calculated has been updated. Tournament Rep points will be awarded as follows.

• 1st place: 5 points
• 2nd place: 3 points
• 3rd & 4th place: 1 point each
• 5th–8th place: 0 points

Players Advancing from the February Leaderboard

• North America rating zone (US and Canada): 256 players
• Europe rating zone (Europe): 256 players
• Latin America rating zone (Latin America and Caribbean): 256 players
• Oceania rating zone (Australia and New Zealand): 128 players

In March, these players will compete in a Region Qualifier within their region (based on rating zone, excluding South Africa and Russia). Each Region Qualifier will be a separate double-elimination bracket taking place over two weekends so play times can be optimized by rating zone. Players will be required to register their deck list online before the first Region Qualifier date and will need an account with both Discord and Battlefy to participate.

Matches will be best of three and will use the Standard format. Specific details on rules and report times will be available closer to the event.

Check back for the full tournament rules.

Pokémon Players Cup III Regional Online Qualifier Schedule

March 20: Double-elimination bracket play until 16 players remain in each region
March 27: Bracket play continues until 4 players remain in each region

The players handbook and email communication will provide the specific play time for each region, which will be announced closer to the event date.

Pokémon Players Cup III Global Finals

The Global Finals will include 16 players—4 from each Region Qualifier. The finals will be a new double-elimination bracket, and players will be able to submit a new deck list. The Global Finals will be played April 10–11 at a time to be determined and sent to finalists via email.

Pokémon Players Cup III Eligibility

The following players will not be eligible to participate in the Region Qualifiers.

• Players who were born in 2005 or later (Junior and Senior Divisions, based on the 2021 season)
• Players who reside outside countries supported by the following Play! Pokémon rating zones: North America (US and Canada), Europe, Latin America, and Oceania
• Players who have not opted in to the Play! Pokémon Terms of Use
• Players who do not log in to the Pokémon TCG Online between October 18, 2020, and January 18, 2021, at 18:00 UTC after successfully opting in to the Play! Pokémon Terms of Use and receiving a Player ID

Additional eligibility rules may apply. *All details, including rules, dates, and eligibility are subject to change.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/pokemon-players-cup-iii/tcg-event-info/