In 2025, Anaheim, California served as a global battleground for competitive Pokémon. The Pokémon World Championships returned with legendary clashes for four different titles. The event was a gathering of top-tier competitors from across the globe vying for victory in the Trading Card Game (TCG), Video Game Championships (VGC), Pokémon GO and Pokémon UNITE.
Victors in the Video Game Championships
The end of the Master’s division saw a betting thriller of an all-Aussie final as Giovanni Cischke scored his maiden tournament win 2-1 over James Evan. The Juniors division, as well as the Seniors division, also had an outstanding performance from Luke Whittier and Kevin Han. The United States has won every division of VGC this year.
Trading Card Game Champions
Canadian Riley McKay won the Trading Card Game competition after battling through the playoffs and defeating Justin Newdorf in the final. Along with the trophy, McKay earned a $50,000 prize. In other age brackets, Liao Fuguan of China took the gold in the Seniors division while Yuya Okita of Japan finished on top in the Juniors.
PERÚ’s Rise in Pokémon UNITE
Pokémon UNITE had some exciting moments over the weekend. Even though team PERÚ from South America got second place in their first group, it made an amazing comeback to win. The team beat Luminosity Gaming in the semi-finals and Japan’s ZETA Division in the finals. Earlier, PERU’s best performance was finishing in the top eight of past tournaments.
A Breakthrough in Pokémon GO
In Pokémon GO, Indian player Ved ‘Beelzeboy’ Bamb achieved new heights by winning the world championship. After finishing fourth in 2024, Bamb beat Leo ‘P4T0M4N’ Marín in a nail-biting final. This marks the first time an Indian has won a title in a world championship of esports franchise.
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Looking Ahead: San Francisco Awaits
After the event concluded for 2025, our gaze goes to San Francisco, which will host the next Pokémon World Championships on a multi-day pass of the Chase Centre in 2026. The tickets would be available from 17 September.
The next year will bring the first Pokémon Champions event, with the strategy title releasing on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Fans can enjoy the activities at the new Pokémon XP fan zone set at the Moscone Center.
The 2025 Pokémon World Championships showcased the achievements of top players and gave a glimpse of future developments for the game’s competitors.