The 2020-22 Play! Pokémon Season started officialy at the DC Open, held on August 2019 alongside the 2019 World Championships, and will come to an end at the 2022 World Championships in London, UK.
This unusual three-year season is also marked by the cancellation of all live events worldwide for two years between March 2020 and March 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 World Championships, and the adaptation to official online events in the Pokémon Players Cup series. All CP earned during the season prior to the cancellation will be kept. The circuit came back in March 2022, although only for major events and not local tours.
At the same time, this is the last season to use the Nintendo 3DS system of consoles, as Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon were used until January 4, 2020. All curent events use Pokémon Sword & Shield on the Nintendo Switch.
Table of Contents
Format rotations
All VGC events taking place from Jan. 4, 2020 on will use Pokémon Sword & Shield until further notice.
The season’s rules vary with each Series of Ranked Battles in the Battle Stadium. That means that online & real-life events will also follow such regulations.
- 2022 Season:
- Series 12: Feb. 1 to Aug. 31, 2022
- Series 11: Nov. 1, 2021 to Jan. 31, 2022
- 2021 Season:
- Series 10: Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, 2021
- Series 9: May 1 to Jul. 31, 2021
- Series 8: Feb. 1 to Apr. 30, 2021
- Series 7: Nov. 1, 2020 to Jan. 31, 2021
- 2020 Season:
- Series 6: Sep. 1 to Oct. 31, 2020
- Series 5: Jul. 1 to Aug. 31, 2020
- Series 4: May 1 to Jun. 30, 2020
- Series 3: Mar. 1 to Apr. 30, 2020
- Series 2: Jan. 4 to Feb. 29, 2020
- Series 1 was a format similar to Series 2, though Gigantamax Pokémon were not allowed. This was used in Ranked Battles from Nov. 19 to Dec. 31, 2019. During this period, the official VGC format in play for events was VGC 2019 Ultra Series for Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Series 1 rules were only used at the Korean League Season 1.
Battle rules
- Double Battles played on Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.
- All Pokémon will be automatically on Level 50 regardless of their actual in-game level.
- All matches have a 20 minute timer. After that, the game automatically resolves to the player with more Pokémon, HP numbers… left. Tiebreakers can be found on the official rules document.
- Players will have up to 7 minutes of “Your Time” throughout the course of a match to select their moves.
- Each turn, 45 seconds will be given to select a move.
- Animations and connection time do not add up.
Team rules
General eligibility rules for Pokémon
- All Pokémon must have the black Galar symbol on their summary screen to indicate that they were caught, hatched or obtained in the Galar region. Pokémon with the battle-ready symbol are also allowed. This symbol indicates that the Pokémon was transferred and then adapted to the Galar region.
- Pokémon may use of any move or Ability available to that Pokémon through normal gameplay. This includes:
- Hidden Abilities, if available (all of them are available through the use of the Ability Patch since Series 7).
- Moves and Abilities passed via the Pokémon Nursery by a Pokémon brought in using Pokémon HOME.
- Moves and Abilities made available through an official Pokémon event or promotion.
- Neither Pokémon nor held items may be repeated on a team (“Species Clause”, “Item Clause”).
- In all series except Series 10, all Pokémon may make use of the Dynamax phenomenon, and some Pokémon may take advantage of their Gigantamax factor. You are allowed to Dynamax or Gigantamax one of your Pokémon per battle. In Series 10, Dynamaxing or Gigantamaxing is not allowed.
Permitted Pokémon
The list of permitted Pokémon changes with each Series. For the current format, Series 12, the following Pokémon are allowed:
- Galar Pokédex: #001-397
- Isle of Armor Pokédex: #001-210
- Crown Tundra Pokédex: #001-209
- National Pokédex: #243–245, #252–260, #380–381, #480–482, #485, #488, #638–642, #645, #722–730, #785–788, #793–799 and #803–806
Additionally, players may use two of the following Restricted Pokémon in their teams:
- National Pokédex: #150, #249-250, #382–384, #483–484, #487, #643–644, #646, #716–718, #789–792, #800, #888–890 and #898
These are the Pokémon allowed in Series 8, 10 and 11:
- Galar Pokédex: #001-397
- Isle of Armor Pokédex: #001-210
- Crown Tundra Pokédex: #001-209
- National Pokédex: #243–245, #252–260, #380–381, #480–482, #485, #488, #638–642, #645, #722–730, #785–788, #793–799 and #803–806
Additionally, players may use one of the following Restricted Pokémon in their teams:
- National Pokédex: #150, #249-250, #382–384, #483–484, #487, #643–644, #646, #716–718, #789–792, #800, #888–890 and #898
These are the Pokémon allowed in Series 7 and 9:
- Galar Pokédex: #001-397
- Isle of Armor Pokédex: #001-210
- Crown Tundra Pokédex: #001-209
- National Pokédex: #243–245, #252–260, #380–381, #480–482, #485, #488, #638–642, #645, #722–730, #785–788, #793–799 and #803–806
These are the Pokémon allowed in Series 6:
- Galar Pokédex: #001-397
- Isle of Armor Pokédex: #001-210
- National Pokédex: #638-640 and #722-730.
Pokémon within the Top 10 in usage in the Ranked Battles ladder for both Singles & Doubles Battles in Season 8 (July 2020) are banned during Series 6. Therefore, the following Pokémon are uneligible:
| Uneligible Pokémon in Series 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Venusaur | Gyarados | Porygon2 | Tyranitar | Torkoal | Hippowdon |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Magnezone | Togekiss | Excadrill | Whimsicott | Incineroar | Mimikyu |
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Rillaboom | Cinderace | Male Indeedee | Female Indeedee | Dragapult | |
- Galar Pokédex: #001-397
- Isle of Armor Pokédex: #001-210
- National Pokédex: #638-640 and #722-730
These are the Pokémon allowed in Series 3 and 4:
- Galar Pokédex: #001-397
- National Pokédex: #001-009, #079 and #722-730
In Series 2, all Pokémon with Galar Pokédex numbers #001-397 are allowed.
Banned Pokémon
In Series 8, 10, 11 and 12, one or two of the Restricted Legendary Pokémon are allowed per team. Mythical Pokémon are still banned:
| Banned Pokémon for Series 8, 10, 11 and 12 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Mew | Celebi | Jirachi | Victini | Keldeo (both forms) | Genesect (all forms) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Diancie | Volcanion | Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan |
 |  | ||||
| Melmetal | Zarude (both forms) | ||||
| Banned Pokémon for Series 8, 10, 11 and 12 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Mew | Celebi | Jirachi | Victini |
| | | |
| Keldeo (both forms) | Genesect (all forms) | Diancie | Volcanion |
| | | |
| Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan |
| | ||
| Melmetal | Zarude (both forms) | ||
The list of banned Pokémon is updated with the release of The Crown Tundra. The list is the same for Series 7 and Series 9.
| Banned Pokémon for Series 7 and 9 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |  |  | |  |
| Mewtwo | Mew | Lugia | Ho-Oh | Celebi | Kyogre |
 |  | |  |  |  |
| Groudon | Rayquaza | Jirachi | Palkia | Dialga | Giratina (both forms) |
|  |  |  | | |
| Victini | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) | Keldeo (both forms) | Genesect (all forms) |
 |  |  | | |  |
| Xerneas | Yveltal | Zygarde (both forms) | Diancie | Volcanion | Cosmog |
 |  |  |  | | |
| Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) | Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow |
| | |  |  |  |
| Zeraora | Meltan | Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
|  | ||||
| Zarude (both forms) | Calyrex (all forms) | ||||
In addition to the Restricted Legendary and Singular Pokémon, the Pokémon within the top 10 usage in Season 8 (July 2020) Ranked Battles ladder for both Single and Double Battles were deemed uneligible just for Series 6.
| Banned Pokémon for Series 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| Venusaur | Gyarados | Mewtwo | Mew | Porygon2 | Tyranitar |
| | | | | |
| Celebi | Torkoal | Jirachi | Hippowdon | Magnezone | Togekiss |
| | | | | |
| Excadrill | Whimsicott | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) | Incineroar |
| | | | | |
| Mimikyu | Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) |
| | | | | |
| Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan | Melmetal | Rillaboom |
| | | | | |
| Cinderace | Indeedee (both forms) | Dragapult | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
| Pokémon added with The Crown Tundra and Dada Zarude | ||||
| Zarude | Unavailable during Series 6 | ||||
The list of banned Pokémon is updated with the release of The Isle of Armor and, with it, the availability of the battle-ready symbol:
| Banned Pokémon for Series 5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| Mewtwo | Mew | Celebi | Jirachi | Reshiram | Zekrom |
| | | | | |
| Kyurem (all forms) | Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) |
| | | | | |
| Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan | Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) |
| | | Pokémon added with The Crown Tundra and Dada Zarude | ||
| Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus | Zarude | Unavailable during Series 5 | ||
Regional variants and some Pokémon from the National Pokédex are no longer banned, except for those that cannot be bred in Galar (the battle-ready symbol was introduced in The Isle of Armor):
| Banned Pokémon for Series 3 and 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | | | | |
| Alolan Raichu | Weezing (Kanto form) | Mewtwo | Mew | Celebi | Jirachi |
 |  |  | | | |
| Cobalion | Terrakion | Virizion | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) |
| | | | | |
| Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) | Marshadow |
| | | | | |
| Zeraora | Meltan | Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
| Pokémon added with The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra | |||||
| Unavailable during Series 3 and 4 | |||||
All Restricted Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are banned. All Pokémon that are not included in the Galar Pokédex are also banned. All regional variants not available during normal gameplay (obtainable through Pokémon HOME) are also banned:
| Banned Pokémon for Series 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | |  |  |  |
| Bulbasaur | Ivysaur | Venusaur | Squirtle | Wartortle | Blastoise |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| Alolan Raichu | Alolan Vulpix | Alolan Ninetales | Alolan Diglett | Alolan Dugtrio | Alolan Meowth |
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Alolan Persian | Ponyta (Kanto form) | Rapidash (Kanto form) | Slowpoke (both forms) | Farfetch’d (Kanto form) | Weezing (Kanto form) |
| |  | |  |  |
| Mewtwo | Mew | Corsola (Johto form) | Celebi | Zigzagoon (Hoenn form) | Linoone (Hoenn form) |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| Jirachi | West Sea Shellos | West Sea Gastrodon | Darumaka (Unova form) | Darmanitan (Unova form) | Stunfisk (Unova form) |
| | | | | |
| Cobalion | Terrakion | Virizion | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) |
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Rowlet | Dartrix | Decidueye | Litten | Torracat | Incineroar |
 |  |  | | | |
| Popplio | Brionne | Primarina | Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo |
| | | | | |
| Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan | Melmetal |
| | | Pokémon added with The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra | ||
| Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus | Unavailable during Series 2 | ||
The list of banned Pokémon is updated with the release of The Crown Tundra. The list is the same for Series 7 and 9.
| Banned Pokémon for Series 7 and 9 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Mewtwo | Mew | Lugia | Ho-Oh |
| | | |
| Celebi | Kyogre | Groudon | Rayquaza |
| | | |
| Jirachi | Palkia | Dialga | Giratina (both forms) |
| | | |
| Victini | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) |
| | | |
| Keldeo (both forms) | Genesect (all forms) | Xerneas | Yveltal |
| | | |
| Zygarde (both forms) | Diancie | Volcanion | Cosmog |
| | | |
| Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) |
| | | |
| Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan |
| | | |
| Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
| | ||
| Zarude (both forms) | Calyrex (all forms) | ||
In addition to the Restricted Legendary and Singular Pokémon, the Pokémon within the top 10 usage in Season 8 (July 2020) Ranked Battles ladder for both Single and Double Battles were deemed uneligible just for Series 6.
| Banned Pokémon for Series 6 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Venusaur | Gyarados | Mewtwo | Mew |
| | | |
| Porygon2 | Tyranitar | Celebi | Torkoal |
| | | |
| Jirachi | Hippowdon | Magnezone | Togekiss |
| | | |
| Excadrill | Whimsicott | Reshiram | Zekrom |
| | | |
| Kyurem (all forms) | Incineroar | Mimikyu | Cosmog |
| | | |
| Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) |
| | | |
| Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan |
| | | |
| Melmetal | Rillaboom | Cinderace | Indeedee (both forms) |
| | | |
| Dragapult | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
| | Pokémon added with The Crown Tundra and Dada Zarude | ||
| Zarude | Unavailable for Series 6 | ||
The list of banned Pokémon is updated with the release of The Isle of Armor:
| Banned Pokémon for Series 5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Mewtwo | Mew | Celebi | Jirachi |
| | | |
| Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) | Cosmog |
| | | |
| Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) |
| | | |
| Magearna (both forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan |
| | | |
| Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
| Pokémon added with The Crown Tundra and Dada Zarude | ||
| Zarude | Unavailable during Series 5 | ||
Regional variants and some Pokémon from the National Pokédex are no longer banned, except for those that cannot be bred in Galar (the battle-ready symbol was introduced in The Isle of Armor):
| Banned Pokémon for Series 3 and 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Alolan Raichu | Weezing (Kanto form) | Mewtwo | Mew |
| | | |
| Celebi | Jirachi | Cobalion | Terrakion |
| | | |
| Virizion | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) |
| | | |
| Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala |
| | | |
| Necrozma (all forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | Meltan |
| | | |
| Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | Eternatus |
| Pokémon added with The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra | |||
| Unavailable during Series 3 and 4 | |||
All Restricted Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are banned. All Pokémon that are not included in the Galar Pokédex are also banned. All regional variants not available during normal gameplay (obtainable through Pokémon HOME) are also banned:
| Banned Pokémon for Series 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | ||
| Bulbasaur | Ivysaur | Venusaur | Squirtle | ||
| | | | ||
| Wartortle | Blastoise | Alolan Raichu | Alolan Vulpix | ||
| | | | ||
| Alolan Ninetales | Alolan Diglett | Alolan Dugtrio | Alolan Meowth | ||
| | | | ||
| Alolan Persian | Ponyta (Kanto form) | Rapidash (Kanto form) | Slowpoke (both forms) | ||
| | | | ||
| Farfetch’d (Kanto form) | Weezing (Kanto form) | Mewtwo | Mew | ||
| | | | ||
| Corsola (Johto form) | Celebi | Zigzagoon (Hoenn form) | Linoone (Hoenn form) | ||
| | | | ||
| Jirachi | West Sea Shellos | West Sea Gastrodon | Darumaka (Unova form) | ||
| | | | ||
| Darmanitan (Unova form) | Stunfisk (Unova form) | Cobalion | Terrakion | ||
| | | | ||
| Virizion | Reshiram | Zekrom | Kyurem (all forms) | ||
| | | | ||
| Rowlet | Dartrix | Decidueye | Litten | ||
| | | | ||
| Torracat | Incineroar | Popplio | Brionne | ||
| | | | ||
| Primarina | Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo | ||
| | | | ||
| Lunala | Necrozma (all forms) | Marshadow | Zeraora | ||
| | | | ||
| Meltan | Melmetal | Zacian (both forms) | Zamazenta (both forms) | ||
| Pokémon added with The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra | ||||
| Eternatus | Unavailable during Series 2 | ||||
Gigantamax Pokémon
Additionally, the list of Pokémon species permitted to Gigantamax in Championship Series events has expanded periodically, based on the availability of those Pokémon and taking into account a grace period for players to train their new Pokémon. Players using a Pokémon with the Gigantamax Factor that is not on the list during a game will be subject to penalties.
With the addition of Max Soup in The Isle of Armor, all Gigantamax Pokémon were allowed for Series 5. The list is the same as the one for Series 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12.
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed for Series 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Venusaur | Charizard | Blastoise | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Machamp | Gengar | Kingler | Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Garbodor | Rillaboom | Cinderace | Inteleon | Corviknight | Orbeetle |
 |  |  | |  |  |
| Drednaw | Coalossal | Flapple | Appletun | Sandaconda | Toxtricity (both forms) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Centiskorch | Hatterene | Grimmsnarl | Alcremie (all forms) | Copperajah | Duraludon |
 |  | ||||
| Single Strike Style Urshifu | Rapid Strike Style Urshifu | ||||
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed for Series 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Venusaur | Charizard | Blastoise | Butterfree |
| | | |
| Pikachu | Meowth | Machamp | Gengar |
| | | |
| Kingler | Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax |
| | | |
| Garbodor | Rillaboom | Cinderace | Inteleon |
| | | |
| Corviknight | Orbeetle | Drednaw | Coalossal |
| | | |
| Flapple | Appletun | Sandaconda | Toxtricity (both forms) |
| | | |
| Centiskorch | Hatterene | Grimmsnarl | Alcremie (all forms) |
| | | |
| Copperajah | Duraludon | Single Strike Style Urshifu | Rapid Strike Style Urshifu |
After the ineligibility of some high-usage Pokémon, the Gigantamax list is slightly modified to exclude Venusaur, Rillaboom and Cinderace just for Series 6:
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| Charizard | Blastoise | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth | Machamp |
| | | | | |
| Gengar | Kingler | Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax | Garbodor |
| | | | | |
| Inteleon | Corviknight | Orbeetle | Drednaw | Coalossal | Flapple |
| | | | | |
| Appletun | Sandaconda | Toxtricity (both forms) | Centiskorch | Hatterene | Grimmsnarl |
| | | | | |
| Alcremie (all forms) | Copperajah | Duraludon | Single Strike Style Urshifu | Rapid Strike Style Urshifu | |
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| Charizard | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth | Machamp |
| | | | |
| Gengar | Kingler | Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax |
| | | | |
| Garbodor | Corviknight | Orbeetle | Drednaw | Coalossal |
| | | | |
| Flapple | Appletun | Sandaconda | Toxtricity (both forms) | Centiskorch |
| | | | |
| Hatterene | Grimmsnarl | Alcremie (all forms) | Copperajah | Duraludon |
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| Charizard | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth | Kingler |
| | | | |
| Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax | Corviknight | Orbeetle |
| | | | |
| Drednaw | Coalossal | Flapple | Appletun | Sandaconda |
| | | | |
| Toxtricity (both forms) | Centiskorch | Hatterene | Grimmsnarl | Alcremie (all forms) |
Ten Gigantamax Pokémon were available for play in Series 2. These were obtainable through events or had been featured in Wild Area News before January 2020.
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| Charizard* | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth | Eevee |
| | | | |
| Snorlax | Corviknight | Drednaw | Sandaconda | Centiskorch |
*Charizard is only available with the Blaze ability for this Series.
After the ineligibility of some high-usage Pokémon, the Gigantamax list is slightly modified to exclude Venusaur, Rillaboom and Cinderace just for Series 6:
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 6 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Charizard | Blastoise | Butterfree | Pikachu |
| | | |
| Meowth | Machamp | Gengar | Kingler |
| | | |
| Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax | Garbodor |
| | | |
| Inteleon | Corviknight | Orbeetle | Drednaw |
| | | |
| Coalossal | Flapple | Appletun | Sandaconda |
| | | |
| Toxtricity (both forms) | Centiskorch | Hatterene | Grimmsnarl |
| | | |
| Alcremie (all forms) | Copperajah | Duraludon | Single Strike Style Urshifu |
| |||
| Rapid Strike Style Urshifu | |||
Five more Pokémon that were featured in Wild Area News before May 2020 were added for Series 4. All available Gigantamax Pokémon before The Isle of Armor are now allowed:
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Charizard | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth |
| | | |
| Machamp | Gengar | Kingler | Lapras |
| | | |
| Eevee | Snorlax | Garbodor | Corviknight |
| | | |
| Orbeetle | Drednaw | Coalossal | Flapple |
| | | |
| Appletun | Sandaconda | Toxtricity (both forms) | Centiskorch |
| | | |
| Hatterene | Grimmsnarl | Alcremie (all forms) | Copperajah |
| |||
| Duraludon | |||
Ten more Pokémon that were featured in Wild Area News before March 2020 and Charizard with Solar Power (its Hidden Ability) were added for Series 3:
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Charizard | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth |
| | | |
| Kingler | Lapras | Eevee | Snorlax |
| | | |
| Corviknight | Orbeetle | Drednaw | Coalossal |
| | | |
| Flapple | Appletun | Sandaconda | Toxtricity (both forms) |
| | | |
| Centiskorch | Hatterene | Grimmsnarl | Alcremie (all forms) |
Ten Gigantamax Pokémon were available for play in Series 2. These were obtainable through events or had been featured in Wild Area News before January 2020.
| Gigantamax Pokémon allowed in Series 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Charizard* | Butterfree | Pikachu | Meowth |
| | | |
| Eevee | Snorlax | Corviknight | Drednaw |
| | ||
| Sandaconda | Centiskorch | ||
*Charizard is only available with the Blaze ability for this Series.
VGC 2019 Ultra Series
The VGC 2019 format is a throwback to the 2016 and 2010 rulesets, all of them known as GS Cup, formats where Legendary Pokémon such as Groudon, Xerneas or Lunala are allowed. All VGC events taking place until 4 January 2020 used the Ultra Series regulations as well.
- Double Battles played on Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon.
- All Pokémon from the National Pokédex are allowed:
- All Pokémon must be caught, hatched or obtained during the regular playthrough of any of the 7th Generation games (Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Moon, Pokémon Ultra Sun or Pokémon Ultra Moon), thus having the black clover icon on their summary.
- All teams may include up to 2 Pokémon from the following: Mewtwo, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala and Necrozma.
- Mythical Pokémon (for example, those obtained during special distributions such as Volcanion) are banned.
- No Pokémon nor Items may be repeated on a team (“Species Clause”, “Item Clause”)
- All Pokémon will be automatically on Level 50 regardless of their actual in-game level.
- Players will have up to 7 minutes of “Your Time” throughout the course of a match to select their moves.
- Each turn, 45 seconds will be given to select a move.
- Animations and connection time do not add up.
- All Z Crystals are allowed.
- Players can use the Ultranecozium Z on the Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings forms of Necrozma.
- Mega Evolutions are allowed.
- Red Orb and Blue Orb can be held by a Pokémon (essentially, Groudon and Kyogre).
- Rayquaza may learn Dragon Ascent, and thus may Mega Evolve.
- All Z Crystals are allowed.
Age divisions
Play! Pokémon separates players into three age divisions: Juniors (JR), Seniors (SR), and Masters (MA). The age division that a player participates in is set at the beginning of the season, based on that player’s year of birth, and does not change over the course of that season. This allows players to compete against the same pool of opponents over the course of the season.
For the 2022 season of events (from August 2021 to the 2022 World Championships), age divisions are increased by one year. As a result of it, some players will age up to a new division at the start of the 2022 season.
If a player qualified for Worlds and has aged up to a new division, their qualification for Worlds Day 1 will be maintained regardless of whether they meet the point threshold of their new age division.
These are the current age divisions:
- Juniors: born in 2010 or later
- Seniors: born in 2006-09
- Masters: born in 2005 or earlier
Previously, for the 2020-21 season of events (from August 2019 to August 2021), these were the age divisions:
- Juniors: born in 2009 or later
- Seniors: born in 2005-08
- Masters: born in 2004 or earlier
Events: where and when?
The 2020-22 season is made up of events taking place in all 5 continents. These events are divided into two main categories: major events and local events:
- Major events are hosted directly by The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) or an outsourcer. These events award greater prizes and Championship Points.
- Local events are run by volunteer organizers and allow newer players and smaller communities to take part of the game. This were only included in the circuit prior to the cancellation of events in March 2020 and did not came back in 2022.
2022 Season Events
The 2022 season began as a mixture of online events in most regions of the world and the reintroduction of major in-person events. Major offline events were announced starting in March 2022 and hopefully the World Championships will be held in August at the end of the season.
| Date | Event | Winner | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-26 Jun 22 | North America Internationals from  Columbus, OH | James Evans | Series 12 |
| 22-24 Apr 22 | Europe Internationals from  Frankfurt |  Eric Rios | Series 12 |
2021 Season Events
After the cancellation of all in-real-life events in March 2020, TPCi has hosted multiple Players Cups, online events that award no CP but travel awards and prize money.
Similarly, Asian countries were passed over to The Pokémon Company (not to be confused with TPCi) and in some of them there have been tightly regulated events taking place in venues.
2020 Season Events
Four International Championships and multiple Regional Championships were planned to be hosted by TPCi during the 2020 season (Sep 19-Aug 20), as well as Regionals and National Championships in Asian countries by TPC.
All events were cancelled on March 16, 2020.
| Date | Event | Winner | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21-23 Feb 20 | Oceania Internationals from  Melbourne |  Marco Silva | Series 3 |
| 15-17 Nov 19 | Latin America Internationals from  São Paulo | James Baek | VGC19U |
Championship Points & Prizes
Championship Points (CP) are awarded to players based on their placements at various Play! Pokémon tournaments. Major events also hand out prizes as either cash money or scholarships as well as trophies and Pokémon merchandising.
Local Events
- Best Finish Limit: 6
- Max CP obtainable (2020 Worlds Invite): 180 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 CP | 0 |
| 2 | 16 CP | 0 |
| 3-4 | 12 CP | 0 |
| 5-8 | 8 CP | 24 |
| 9-16 | 6 CP | 48 |
| 17-32 | 4 CP | 100 |
- Best Finish Limit: 6
- Max CP obtainable (2020 Worlds Invite): 300 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 CP | 0 |
| 2 | 40 CP | 0 |
| 3-4 | 32 CP | 0 |
| 5-8 | 25 CP | 24 |
| 9-16 | 20 CP | 48 |
| 17-32 | 16 CP | 100 |
| 33-64 | 13 CP | 200 |
- No Best Finish Limit (all Championship Points obtained during Select Online Competitions will be taken into account)
| Placement | Championship Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 50 CP |
| 2 | 45 CP |
| 3-4 | 40 CP |
| 5-8 | 35 CP |
| 9-16 | 30 CP |
| 17-32 | 25 CP |
| 33-64 | 20 CP |
| 65-128 | 10 CP |
| 129-256 | 5 CP |
| 257-512 | 2 CP |
| 513-1024 | 1 CP |
Major events
- Best Finish Limit: 6
- Max CP obtainable (2020 Worlds Invite): 1200 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 CP | 0 |
| 2 | 160 CP | 0 |
| 3-4 | 130 CP | 0 |
| 5-8 | 100 CP | 0 |
| 9-16 | 80 CP | 48 |
| 17-32 | 60 CP | 100 |
| 33-64 | 50 CP | 200 |
| 65-128 | 40 CP | 400 |
| 129-256 | 30 CP | 800 |
| Placement | 1-24 | 25-100 | 101-200 | 201+ | TCG* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | 72 |
| 2 | $250 | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | 72 |
| 3-4 | – | $250 | $500 | $1,000 | 36 |
| 5-8 | – | – | $250 | $500 | 18 |
| 9-16 | – | – | – | $250 | 9 |
*TCG Booster Packs are given regardless of attendance.
- Best Finish Limit: 4
- Max CP obtainable (2020 Worlds Invite): 2000 CP
- Check out information for the Travel Awards down below.
- No residence restrictions, meaning players from all around the world can join them regardless of their location (special regulations may be applied to players from rating zones such as Japan or South Korea)
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 CP | 0 |
| 2 | 400 CP | 0 |
| 3-4 | 320 CP | 0 |
| 5-8 | 250 CP | 0 |
| 9-16 | 200 CP | 48 |
| 17-32 | 160 CP | 100 |
| 33-64 | 130 CP | 200 |
| 65-128 | 100 CP | 400 |
| 129-256 | 80 CP | 800 |
| 257-512 | 60 CP | 1600 |
| Placement | 1-100 | 101-200 | 201+ | TCG* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,500 | $2,500 | $5,000 | 72 |
| 2 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 | 72 |
| 3-4 | $750 | $1,000 | $1,500 | 72 |
| 5-8 | $500 | $750 | $1,000 | 36 |
| 9-16 | – | $500 | $750 | 18 |
| 17-32 | – | – | $500 | – |
*TCG Booster Packs are given regardless of attendance.
Best Finish Limits
Each event type has its own Best Finish Limit (BFL), which indicates the number of best results taken into account towards your invite to Worlds 2020. A BFL of 6 for, let’s say, MSS, means that only your 6 best MSS performances of the season will be counted.
However, these BFLs do not apply for the Internationals qualification periods. Even if your BFL of a certain event type is maxed out before the season ends, you may want to play to obtain CP towards travel awards.
Qualification Periods & Travel Awards
Travel awards will be handed out to the players in each age division and rating zone having gathered the most CP during an exact qualification periods. Players having maxed out their BFLs can still get CP towards these awards.
| Event | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Latin America | Apr. 29, 2019 | Jun. 30, 2019 |
| Oceania | Jul. 1, 2019 | Nov. 17, 2019 |
| Europe | Nov. 18, 2019 | Feb. 23, 2020 |
| North America | Mar. 12, 2022 (return of live events) | Apr. 24, 2022 |
In addition, the Top 4 players in the Pokémon Players Cup, the Pokémon Players Cup II and the Pokémon Players Cup III online events will receive a Travel Award for a future International Championship of their choosing once the live events came back.
Qualify for the 2022 World Championships
The Championship Points (CP) that eligible players earned in 2020 before the cancelation of live events will transfer in whole to the 2022 season. Players will continue to add to this total with any CP earned in the 2022 season.
There will be two CP qualification thresholds:
- Thursday players: players who reach the qualification bar that is the same as the 2020 bar. Therefore, players who previously qualified for Worlds are still qualified for 2022.
- Friday players: players who reach a new CP qualification threshold set in 2021 or 2022 when more information is available about qualifying events. Players who hit the Friday CP threshold will skip play on Thursday.
As a result in the mid-season change of age categories, some Seniors have aged up to Masters and some Juniors have aged up to Seniors. Those that had reached the 2020 CP bar before the pandemics in the lower age category will keep their Worlds Day 1 invite. Their CP will be maintained for the new category.
| Rating Zone | Juniors | Seniors | Masters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 200 CP | 250 CP | 300 CP |
| North America | 200 CP | 250 CP | 400 CP |
| Latin America | 200 CP | 250 CP | 400 CP |
| Oceania | 200 CP | 200 CP | 300 CP |
| South Africa | 100 CP | 150 CP | 200 CP |
| Japan |
| ||
| South Korea |
| ||
| Rest of Asia |
| ||
| 2019 World Championships | Top 4 players from each age division in the 2019 World Championships | ||
| Rating Zone | CP requirements |
|---|---|
| Europe | Top 24 players in the Europe CP leaderboard |
| North America | Top 12 players in the US and Canada CP leaderboard |
| Latin America | Top 12 players in the Latin America CP leaderboard |
| Oceania | Top 12 players in the Oceania CP leaderboard |
| Japan |
|
| South Korea | Top 3 players of the 2022 Trainers Cup |
| Rest of Asia |
|
| Rating Zone | CP requirements |
|---|---|
| Europe | Top 16 players in the Europe CP leaderboard |
| North America | Top 8 players in the US and Canada CP leaderboard |
| Latin America | Top 8 players in the Latin America CP leaderboard |
| Oceania | Top 8 players in the Oceania CP leaderboard |
| Japan |
|
| South Korea | Top 3 players of the 2022 Trainers Cup |
| Rest of Asia |
|
| 2019 World Championships | Top 4 players from each age division in the 2019 World Championships |
