| Event | 2024 PokĆ©mon Dragon King Battle (ćć±ć¢ć³ē«ēę¦2024) |
|---|---|
| Location |  Tokyo, Japan |
| Date | 25 February 2024 |
| Capacity | 8 qualified players + 8 invited players |
| Videogame | PokƩmon Scarlet and PokƩmon Violet |
| Season | 2024 SeasonĀ ā Single battles, custom format |
| Format | Single elimination Top 16 & Top 8: Best of 1; Semifinals and Final: Best of 3 Open team lists |
| Organizer | The PokƩmon Company (TPC) |
Table of Contents
Custom format
This competition features single battles, bringing a team of 6 PokƩmon and selecting 3 in each match. It is mandatory to select a PokƩmon with the Dragon Tera Type amongst the 3 selected for each match, although you may Terastallize a different PokƩmon.
Any PokĆ©mon that can be used inĀ Regulation Set FĀ are allowed for this competition.
The tournament is played in a single-elimination bracket, with Top 16 and Top 8 as best-of-1 matches, and Semifinals and Final as best-of-3 matches.
Teams and results
| # | Flag | Player | Prize | Team | OTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Mizuki Adachi (Adams) | PokƩmon Dragon King |       |  |
| 2 | | Tanake (ććŖćć¼) | ā |     |  |
| TopĀ 4 | | Choku (ć”ćć ) | ā |    |  |
| TopĀ 4 | | Ryza (ć®ććæ) | ā |      |  |
| TopĀ 8 | | Iroha (ćć¤ćŖć¬ćć) | ā |      |  |
| TopĀ 8 | | Oroshiponzu (ć¹ć«ć¼ć¬ćć) | ā |  |  |
| TopĀ 8 | | Bannbee (ćć³ćć¼) | ā |  |  |
| TopĀ 8 | | Kazuki Ogushi (ććØć) | ā | |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Hirofumi Kimura (ć¹ć«ć¼ć¬ćć) | ā |    |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Keisuke Takai (ććć) | ā |    |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Kuroko (ććć) | ā |   |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Jiri-san (ćććć) | ā |  |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Setsunai (ćć¤ćŖć) | ā |   |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Ryota Otsubo (ćć) | ā |    |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Miruku (ćć«ćÆ) | ā | |  |
| TopĀ 16 | | Osamu (Saikyo) (ćć¤ćććć¤) | ā |    |  |
| # | Swiss | Flag | Player | Prize | Team | List | Exp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12-2 |  | Abdullah Mohayyuddin (sempra) | 200 CP $3000 |     |  |  |
| 2 | 11-3 | | Ryan Loseto (SableyeVGC) | 160 CP $2000 |  |  | |
| 3 | 11-3 |  | Dylan Salvanera (Dylan) | 130 CP $1000 |     | | Ā |
| 4 | 11-3 | | Aaron Zheng (CybertronVGC) | 130 CP $1000 |   | | Ā |
| 5 | 12-2 | | Zackary Thornberg (Zack) | 100 CP $500 |     | | Ā |
| 6 | 11-3 | | Neil Patel (Neil) | 100 CP $500 | | | Ā |
| 7 | 11-3 | | Gavin Michaels (HUH?!!) | 100 CP $500 |    | | Ā |
| 8 | 11-3 | | Demitrios Kaguras (DEMITRI) | 100 CP $500 |  |  | |
CheckĀ hereĀ to see theĀ seeds for top cut from the Day 2 Swiss standings!
| # | Swiss | Flag | Player | Prize | Team | TL | Exp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 7-3 |  |
Ian Roberts (76) | 40 CP |
  |
|
Streaming
The event is broadcast live onĀ YouTube,Ā XĀ andĀ Niconico,Ā hosted byĀ Kosuke HiraiwaĀ and AKB48’sĀ Orin Muto, withĀ RefuĀ as an additional VG caster. The stream is shared with the TCG and PokĆ©mon UNITEĀ competitions.
- Stream starts onĀ 25 February at 00:00 UTC
- Part 1, at 00:20 UTC: VG Round 1, TCG Top 8, UNITE Semifinals
- Part 2, at 03:00 UTC: VG Round 2, TCG Semifinals, VG Semifinals
- Part 3, at 08:00 UTC: UNITE Finals, TCG Finals, VG Finals
- Winners ceremony at 11:25 UTC
There is also a secondary stream inĀ NiconicoĀ with a professional shogi player.
The VG stream will feature for the first time ever theĀ PokĆ©mon Battle Scope (PBS)Ā technology, an AI specialized in PokĆ©mon battles that uses techniques already developed for shogi AIs. Its purpose is to predict the actions with highest winning probability.
| Round | Player 1 | vs | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 16 | Keisuke Takai |
vs | Oroshiponzu |
| Top 8 | Ryza |
vs | Kazuki Ogushi |
| Top 4a | Tanake |
vs | Choku |
| Top 4b | Mizuki Adachi |
vs | Ryza |
| Finals | Tanake |
vs | Mizuki Adachi |
Venue
The tournament is held inĀ the following location and nearby halls:
Cerulean Tower Noh theater
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B2F, 26ā1, Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya City, 150-0031 Tokyo, Japan
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Prizes
This event is an official tournament, but isĀ not a part of theĀ 2024 official circuitĀ in Japan. This means thatĀ it does not reward anything related to earning a Worlds invite.
Participating players
The 2024 Dragon King Battle is open only to the players that qualified through the following criteria:
- Top 8 playersĀ in theĀ Dragon King Battle Qualifier
- Even though this edition is focused on single battles, the list notably includes 2017 World ChampionĀ Ryota OtsuboĀ and 2019 Worlds finalistĀ Hirofumi KimuraĀ amongst the qualified players!
Other powerful players are invited. The following invitees were confirmed on 9 February 2024:
- 2020 Dragon KingĀ Kazuki Ogushi, winner of the 2020 edition and finalist in the 2014 edition
- CelebrityĀ Keisuke Takai, from the comical duo Girly Record.
- Singles playerĀ Bannbee, 1st place in Ranked Battles Season 1
- Singles player Tanake, 1st place in Ranked Battles Seasons 2, 9 and 10
- Singles playerĀ Miruku, 1st place in Ranked Battles Season 3
- Singles playerĀ Kuroko, 1st place in Ranked Battles Seasons 4 and 14
- Singles player Ryza, 1st place in Ranked Battles Season 6
- Singles player Osamu (Saikyo), 1st place in Ranked Battles Season 8
Overview
The PokĆ©mon Dragon King Battle is a VG, TCG and, since 2024, UNITE competition for players in Japan, where TPC is responsible for the circuit. It is sponsored by the newspaperĀ Yomiuri ShimbunĀ and theĀ Japan Shogi Association.
It is the 5th edition of the Dragon King Battle since its inception in 2014. See the previous editions:
- 2014, won by Ā Rin Terasawa
- 2015, won by Ā Kota Tashiro
- 2018, won by Ā Ā Keisuke Sunaoshi
- 2020, won by Ā Ā Kazuki Ogushi
The first two editions of the Dragon King Battle were aimed for Junior and Senior players, but all ages are welcome to participate since the 3rd edition in 2018. Previous editions have featured different formats, generally with some kind of restrictions regarding the mandatory use of Dragon-type PokƩmon. They have also featured different qualifying systems, including in-game ladder competitions and dedicated live qualifier events, as well invitees from amongst the top players in Japan Nationals or the World Championships.
A little bit of history
Japan has been a part of the official TPC circuit since its inception. It has hosted multiple major events, including old-era Regionals, National Championships and the 2023 World Championships, and is particularly successful in the online competitions. As the most successful country in VGC, Japan’s greatest trophies have been brought home by 5 World Champions (Kazuyuki TsujiĀ in 2009,Ā Shoma HonamiĀ in 2015,Ā Ryota OtsuboĀ in 2017,Ā Naoto MizobuchiĀ in 2019 andĀ Shohei KimuraĀ in 2023), as well as the 2008 VGS Champion (Izuru Yoshimura) and other 9 in the Senior and Junior divisions throughout the years.
The most recent tournament held in JapanĀ was theĀ 2023 World Championships, playedĀ in Yokohama withĀ the VGC Regulation Set D in August 2023. TheĀ finalsĀ saw JapaneseĀ Shohei KimuraĀ defeat GermanĀ Michael KelschĀ to be crowned as the 2023 World Champion.
The last time the Dragon King Battle was held was the 2020 edition, hosted in Tokyo in May 2021, and played in PokĆ©mon Sword & PokĆ©mon ShieldĀ with the single-battles Series 8 ruleset. TheĀ finalsĀ saw 2014 Dragon King Battle finalistĀ Kazuki OgushiĀ defeat 2019 World ChampionĀ Naoto MizobuchiĀ to be crowned as the 2020 PokĆ©mon Dragon King.
AmericanĀ James Evans, theĀ 2018 Senior Division World Champion, defeated BrazilianĀ Gabriel AgatiĀ in the NAIC finals.
