30 years ago, Pokémon debuted. In the years that followed, generations of fans grew up wanting to be the very best (like no one ever was) or at least trying to catch them all. Pokémon has become one of the world’s largest franchises, and its world championship drew players from around the world.
This year, Pokémon Worlds 2026 was held in San Francisco, CA, from August 28-30, and brought with it a major convention and celebration of Pokémon: Pokémon XP.
(Please note that we did not have a press pass for this event, so this coverage will all be from the perspective of a regular attendee.)
Pokémon Worlds 2026
Pokémon is a worldwide phenomenon, which means players from all around the world came to compete. Pokémon Worlds was the world championship for the video game, card game, Pokémon Go, and Pokémon UNITE, making for a very full weekend of competition.
This isn’t a casual competition where anyone can walk in and enter. These are players who have mastered the metagame, earned their invitations through tournament after tournament, and proven themselves to be the top trainers of the year, and the stage they competed on showed it. Games were played from a large stadium and broadcast to large screens and Twitch, as cheering crowds watched intently.
At the end of the weekend, new champions were crowned. The 2026 winners are:
- Kazuki Kage, Pokémon VGC Junior Division World Champion
- Vikram Thiagarajan, Pokémon VGC Senior Division World Champion
- Takuma Yamazaki, Pokémon VGC Masters Division World Champion
- Yuta Araki, Pokémon TCG Junior Division World Champion
- Jake Ng, Pokémon TCG Senior Division World Champion
- Zeta Division, Pokémon UNITE World Champion team
- GGS489HIROMARU, Pokémon GO World Champion
Pokémon XP
While the Pokémon Worlds competition drew huge crowds, Pokémon XP gave attendees (and competitors between matches) plenty to do. Pokémon XP spanned the Moscone Center and Yerba Buena Gardens and was jam-packed with events and activities.
The area in front of the Moscone Center was transformed into Rayquaza Road, filled with music, live commentary, photo areas, food stalls, and more. Attendees could help construct a massive LEGO Rayquaza, watch skateboarders on Pokémon-themed skateboards do some tricks, or watch Pokémon mascots dance around… assuming they could get through the crowds, of course.
Of course, many attendees showed up cosplaying as their favorite characters or Pokémon. It wasn’t uncommon to see people dressed as gijinka (anthropomorphized) versions of Pokémon, characters from the anime, or members of Team Rocket.
Inside the Moscone Center, there was even more to see and do. Large areas were set up to celebrate 30 years of Pokémon, showcase new games and upcoming shows, and provide activities for attendees.
This included a Pokémon museum showcasing the games and merchandise from over the years, a recording station where attendees could try their hand at dubbing an episode, a gallery showcasing art from the Pokémon TCG, and so much more.
Many events were ticketed, including craft activities, meet-and-greets, and so on. Attendees hoping to check out specific events would have to register their interest online and then hope their names were drawn, and with the huge attendance for the event, the odds were slim. With that said, there were plenty of non-ticketed events to enjoy as well.
Further within the Moscone Center, a large stage held panels and interviews with major figures in the Pokémon world. Not too far from there, Pokémon influencers held meet-and-greets and autograph sessions with fans (who managed to get tickets), and just off to the side, attendees could check out Koraidon and Miraidon motorcycles from Toyota and Honda, respectively.
In the Yerba Buena Gardens, Pokémon XP had an outdoor area. There, young attendees could listen to an outdoor storytime while their parents had their hair and makeup done, or attendees could play a game of Pyukumuku Chucking (a beanbag toss/cornhole game with Pyukumuku plushies). While there was a giant bouncy slide, it was closed during our trip, and I can’t say if it reopened.
Some of the biggest draws were the Pin Rally. where attendees could hit up different stations around the event to get free Pokémon pins. There was also a massive Pokémon Center shopping area, where attendees could buy exclusive goods such as plushies, clothing, cards, and more.
However, those might have even been too big a draw, as they led to a few issues…
Lines, Crowds, and Scalpers, Oh My!
Pokémon XP was a huge event, but perhaps it was even bigger than The Pokémon Company had anticipated or prepared for. For all that there was to do and enjoy, it’s also important to recognize where there were issues that must be addressed.
Just getting a ticket to the event was a challenge, as attendees had to register their interest for a lotto system and hope their names were drawn, either for a weekend or one-day badge. Even once they were registered, they had to enter another lotto to try to get into the events they wanted to attend. Then, they had to register for a time slot to pick up their badges. If they wanted to shop at the Pokémon Center, they needed to sign up for a time slot before they were filled up.
In other words, it was very possible (and in fact common) for someone to get lucky enough to get tickets to the event, but still miss out on tickets to every ticketed event they wanted to attend and the Pokémon Center, due to the incredibly high demand.
This high demand also led to huge crowds and massive lines. While Friday wasn’t too bad, photos from throughout the weekend showed absolutely packed crowds and lines that quickly became fire hazards.
The Pin Rally, for instance, drew crowds so large there were reports of stampede risks and blocked fire exits, while the most popular pins were snatched up immediately. By Sunday, they had to cancel the Pin Rally altogether.
As for the Pokémon Center, the lines there could take hours to get through. Attendees would wait outside the lines for their time slots, then line up to enter the building. Once inside, there was a second line they had to wait through to get upstairs, where they’d wait in yet another line to actually get inside the Pokémon Center.
This, of course, also resulted in scalpers camping alongside the sidewalk to sell everything they bought at a marked-up price.
There have also been reports of Pokémon XP failing to be ADA compliant and lacking accommodations for attendees with disabilities. Some posts online have claimed the staff said they’re “not doing ADA,” while Dexerto reports that 2024 World Champion Luca Ceribelli was removed for attempting to let a player with disabilities join him in the Pokemon Center line.
It goes without saying that these are issues that impacted many attendees. The crowding is, understandably, a major challenge for The Pokémon Company, as the popularity of Pokémon means events like Pokémon Worlds/XP will be in high demand, and scalpers have been a plague on the Pokémon community for quite some time. Meeting demand while managing crowd sizes is far easier said than done, but hopefully these issues can be addressed in the future.
Announcements
At the end of the weekend, The Pokémon Company had plenty of announcements for fans to look forward to for animation and games alike.
On the anime side, a new animated movie called Pokémon: Wild Card was revealed. This features a Pokémon TCG player and a Mimikyu, and was accompanied by a teaser trailer:
For video game players, there were plenty of announcements too, including:
- The Pokémon Champions game (a mobile app and Nintendo Switch game used for competitive Pokémon battles) will be updated with Z-Mega evolutions, including Mega Absol, Garchomp, and Lucario Z.
- Pokémon TCG Pocket will be receiving Dual Type cards and Pokémon EX cards for starter (or “First Partner”) Pokémon.
- Morpeko, Toxtricity, Jolteon, and Flareon will be making their Pokémon UNITE debuts in the coming months.
- Pokémon GO will be giving new charged moves to Mega Evolved Pokémon, who can now be used in the Go Battle League. Armored Mewtwo will also be making its return after six years.
As for TCG players, the Pokémon Trading Card Game will be introducing the new ex★ series to the game, similar to the game’s EX, V, and VMAX Pokémon.
Finally, 2027’s Pokémon Worlds event will be held in Singapore from August 13-15.
There was no news on the upcoming Pokémon Wind and Waves games yet.
Overall
Pokémon XP was a massive celebration of a franchise that’s been beloved by so many for 30 years. It drew a huge crowd of energetic fans and got attendees hyped for the future of Pokémon, giving them plenty to do while the top trainers in the world competed for the grand prize.
However, an event of that size is not without its issues, especially for a series with as big a scalper problem as Pokémon. While it was absolutely possible to enjoy Pokémon XP regardless, it’s still important for The Pokémon Company to recognize and address these problems for future events.
Still, on a personal note, as someone who’s been a fan of Pokémon since the days of Red and Blue versions, it was amazing to see how far Pokémon has come. To be among friends, fellow fans, and trainers from around the world to celebrate this series that has brought us so much joy was a fantastic experience.
