The 2025 Play! Pokémon season starts on July 2024 and will come to an end at the 2025 World Championships in Anaheim.
On this page, you can find all info regarding event types and qualification for the World Championships. Keep in mind that all information is subject to change at TPCi’s discretion. To check out the information on rules & regulations of VGC battles, check this page.
Latest update: 11 November 2024
Table of Contents
One World, Three Systems
Official Pokémon tournaments happen all around the world, but are managed by different entities and thus are ruled by different standards.
- The Pokémon Company International (TPCi): handles events in Europe, North America, Latin America, Oceania, the Middle East & South Africa and Russia. The events are under the Play! Pokémon program. All events grant Championship Points (CP), and major events may also hand out prizes as cash money or scholarships, trophies and other Pokémon exclusive merchandise.
- The Pokémon Company (TPC): handles events in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
- Pokémon Korea: handles events in South Korea.
While all tournaments follow roughly the same structure (events are played using the double battles Video Game Championships, or VGC, format), there are major differences on the availability of events, as well as ways of qualifying to the World Championships.
Results on one system do not carry out to the others, and some events are also locked to residents of specific countries. However, all TPCi events are available to players from other regions, and they can still opt in for the prize money, but not the Championship Points.
On this page, we cover and summarize all info available for all three systems, with a main emphasis on the Play! Pokémon program, since it’s the one available to most regions.
Types of Events
The 2025 season is made up of events happening in all 5 continents. These events are divided into two main categories: major events and local events.
- Major events:
- Play! Pokémon (TPCi): International Championships, hosted directly by TPCi, as well as Regional and Special Championships, hosted by outsourcer companies.
- TPC:
- Japan: National Championships, which usually have an online qualifier event locked for residents.
- Asia-Pacific: Master Ball Leagues (equivalent to the National Championships) and Premier Ball Leagues (once per season, second-tier tournaments), locked for residents in each ot the territories: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
- Pokémon Korea: Pokémon Trainers Cup, which usually have an online qualifier event locked for residents.
- Major events:
- Local events:
- Play! Pokémon (TPCi): VG League Cups and VG League Challenges, which are events run by volunteer organizers that allow newer players and smaller communities to take part of the game. These events do also grant Championship Points, and may award other prizes at each organizer’s discretion.
- TPC & Pokémon Korea: There are no local events in Japan, Korea or the rest of Asia-Pacific.
Age Divisions
The Play! Pokémon program separates players into three age divisions: Juniors (JR), Seniors (SR), and Masters (MA).
The age division that a player belongs to is set at the beginning of the season, based on the year of birth, and does not change over the course of that season. This allows players to compete against the same pool of opponents during the entire season.
These are the age divisions for the 2025 season:
- Juniors: born in 2013 or later
- Seniors: born in 2009 to 2012
- Masters: born in 2008 or earlier
Event Prizes (TPCi)
Championship Points (CP)
Events in the Play! Pokémon program award Championship Points (CP) to the best players at each tournament.
These points allow players to qualify for the World Championships depending on their season-end ranking, as well as obtain Travel Awards for International Championships based on the amount of points obtained during specific time periods.
However, CP depend on the event’s kicker and best finish limit:
- Kicker is the minimum amount of players that need to participate in any given tournament so that players with lower standings get CP. For example, if the kicker for top 8 to get CP at a tournament type is 17, it means that top 8 finishers will only get CP if there were at least 17 participants in the tournament.
- Best Finish Limit (BFL) is the maximum amount of tournaments of a same kind, such as Regional and Special Championships, that are counted towards the total ranking of the season. For example, if the BFL of a type of tournament is 2, only the 2 best results that a player has in that type of tournament are counted.
- However, even if a player does not obtain any seasonal CP from an event type after maxing it out, they may obtain quarterly CP towards the International Championships Travel Awards.
Local Events
You can find the structure of these tournaments here.
The VG League Challenges are the lowest grade of events, and thus also the kind that happens near you most of the time. They are held in official Play! Pokémon stores that feature a League. Each store can organize one VG League Challenge per month. They are similar to the Premier Challenges that were played in the last few season.
These events welcome players of all skill levels, and have no qualifications or residency restrictions, so even if you’re a player from TPC regions visiting over, you can play, provided you have a Pokémon Trainer Club account.
You can always find the nearest VG League Challenge to you using the official event locator.
- BFL: 4
- Max obtainable CP (2025 Worlds Invite): 60 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 CP | 0 |
| 2nd | 12 CP | 4 |
| 3rd and 4th | 10 CP | 8 |
| 5th to 8th | 8 CP | 17 |
| 9th to 16th | 6 CP | 33 |
| 17th to 32nd | 4 CP | 65 |
The VG League Cups are a significant step up from VG League Challenges while still retaining their local event are the lowest grade of events, and thus also the kind that happens near you most of the time. They are held in official Play! Pokémon stores that feature a League. Each store can organize one VG League Cup per quarter. They are similar to the Midseason Showdowns that were played in the last few season.
These events welcome players of all skill levels, and have no qualifications or residency restrictions, so even if you’re a player from TPC regions visiting over, you can play, provided you have a Pokémon Trainer Club account.
You can always find the nearest VG League Cup to you using the official event locator.
- BFL: 4
- Max obtainable CP (2025 Worlds Invite): 200 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 50 CP | 0 |
| 2nd | 40 CP | 4 |
| 3rd and 4th | 32 CP | 8 |
| 5th to 8th | 25 CP | 17 |
| 9th to 16th | 20 CP | 33 |
| 17th to 32nd | 16 CP | 65 |
| 33rd to 64th | 13 CP | 129 |
Grand & Global Challenges
Some online competitions, namely Global Challenges and the brand-new Grand Challenges, also award Championship Points. These events are played directly using the game’s Battle Stadium over the span of a weekend, Friday through Sunday, and you can play against players from across the globe from your couch.
Global Challenges can be played worldwide. They award CP to the players in TPCi regions, taking into account only these players. Other rewards, such as invites to National Championships, may be given to players in TPC or Pokémon Korea regions.
Grand Challenges can only be played by players in TPCi regions, excluding players in TPC or Pokémon Korea regions. They reward the same amount of CPs.
- BFL: 3
- Max obtainable CP (2025 Worlds Invite): 510 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 170 CP | 0 |
| 2nd | 160 CP | 4 |
| 3rd and 4th | 150 CP | 8 |
| 5th to 8th | 140 CP | 17 |
| 9th to 16th | 130 CP | 33 |
| 17th to 32nd | 120 CP | 65 |
| 33rd to 64th | 80 CP | 129 |
| 65th to 128th | 65 CP | 257 |
| 129th to 256th | 50 CP | 513 |
| 257th to 512th | 35 CP | 1025 |
| 513th to 1024th | 20 CP | 2049 |
- 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 |
Regional & Special Championships
Regional-level events include Regional Championships and Special Championships. These events are identical in regards to CP payouts.
Players must have a Pokémon Trainer Club account with a Player ID attached, and must have opted in to the Play! Pokémon program in order to earn points and awards.
You can find all Regional and Special Championships for the season here.
- BFL: 5 (shared with Internationals)
- Max obtainable CP (2025 Worlds Invite): 1750 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Invite to the 2025 World Championships 350 CP | 0 |
| Finalist | 325 CP | 4 |
| Semifinalists | 300 CP | 8 |
| 5th to 8th | 280 CP | 17 |
| 9th to 16th | 160 CP | 33 |
| 17th to 32nd | 125 CP | 65 |
| 33rd to 64th | 100 CP | 129 |
| 65th to 128th | 80 CP | 257 |
| 129th to 256th | 60 CP | 513 |
| 257th to 512th | 40 CP | 1025 |
| 513th to 1024th | 20 CP | 2049 |
* For the champions of Regional and Special Championships in each age division, an invite to the 2025 World Championships Invite is also awarded, regardless of their total CP amount at the end of the season.
Regional Championships, but not Special Championships, award prize money as cash, scholarship or a Visa Prepaid Card depending on the amount and age of the receiver. The prizes are in US dollars (USD) and subject to applicable tax withholding.
Players must have a Pokémon Trainer Club account with a Player ID attached, and must have opted in to the Play! Pokémon program in order to earn points and awards.
Prize Money does not have any kickers. This means that prizes are always awarded to all players in the placements listed below, regardless of the total number of players in a given tournament.
| Placement | Masters | Junior & Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | $6,000 USD | $1,000 USD |
| Finalist | $4,000 USD | $750 USD |
| Semifinalists | $2,000 USD | $500 USD |
| 5th to 8th | $1,000 USD | – |
| 9th to 16th | $750 USD | – |
Regional Championships, but not Special Championships, also award Pokémon TCG booster packs as additional prizing for top players. The amount of booster packs given to a player depends on their placement and on the amount of players in their age division.
| Players per age division | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placement | <33 | 33-64 | 65-128 | 129-256 | 257-512 | 513-1024 | 1025-2048 | 2049+ |
| Champion | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| Finalist | 72 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| Semifinalists | 36 | 72 | 72 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| 5th to 8th | 18 | 36 | 36 | 72 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| 9th to 16th | 9 | 18 | 36 | 36 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 108 |
| 17th to 32nd | 18 | 18 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | ||
| 33rd to 64th | 9 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | |||
| 65th to 128th | 18 | 18 | 36 | 36 | ||||
| 129th to 256th | 9 | 18 | 18 | |||||
| 257th to 512th | 9 | |||||||
International Championships
You can find the structure of these tournaments here.
The greatest events on a season are International Championships (IC), which happen only a handful of times a year, and award the greatest amounts of CP and prizes.
For the 2025 season, there’s one for Europe, North America and Latin America, while players from the other regions of the TPCi program (Oceania, South Africa & Middle East) may also attend freely and also earn Championship Points and Prize Money. Players from other programs (TPC or Pokémon Korea) may attend and earn rewards, but not Championship Points.
Players must have a Pokémon Trainer Club account with a Player ID attached, and must have opted in to the Play! Pokémon program in order to earn points and awards.
- BFL: 5 (shared with Regionals and Specials)
- Max CP obtainable (2025 Worlds Invite): 1500 CP
| Placement | Championship Points | Kicker |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Invite to the 2025 World Championships 500 CP | 0 |
| Finalist | Invite to the 2025 World Championships 480 CP | 4 |
| Semifinalists | Invite to the 2025 World Championships 420 CP | 8 |
| 5th to 8th | 380 CP | 17 |
| 9th to 16th | 300 CP | 33 |
| 17th to 32nd | 200 CP | 65 |
| 33rd to 64th | 150 CP | 129 |
| 65th to 128th | 120 CP | 257 |
| 129th to 256th | 100 CP | 513 |
| 257th to 512th | 80 CP | 1025 |
| 513th to 1024th | 40 CP | 2049 |
* For the champions, finalists and semifinalists of International Championships in each age division, an invite to the 2025 World Championships is also awarded, regardless of their total CP amount at the end of the season.
| Placement | Juniors & Seniors | Masters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 USD | $15,000 USD |
| 2 | $3,000 USD | $10,000 USD |
| 3-4 | $2,000 USD | $7,000 USD |
| 5-8 | $1,000 USD | $5,000 USD |
| 9-16 | – | $3,000 USD |
| 17-32 | – | $2,000 USD |
International Championships also award Pokémon TCG booster packs as additional prizing for top players. The amount of booster packs given to a player depends on their placement and on the amount of players in their age division.
| Players per age division | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placement | <33 | 33-64 | 65-128 | 129-256 | 257-512 | 513-1024 | 1025-2048 | 2049+ |
| Champion | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| Finalist | 72 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| Semifinalists | 36 | 72 | 72 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| 5th to 8th | 18 | 36 | 36 | 72 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 108 |
| 9th to 16th | 9 | 18 | 36 | 36 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 108 |
| 17th to 32nd | 18 | 18 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | ||
| 33rd to 64th | 9 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | |||
| 65th to 128th | 18 | 18 | 36 | 36 | ||||
| 129th to 256th | 9 | 18 | 18 | |||||
| 257th to 512th | 9 | |||||||
For players in Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania, the top players in the CP leaderboard during the season are awarded Travel Awards or Stipends to specific International Championships. Players in Middle East & South Africa and Russia regions are ineligible.
All events within a specific time bracket defined below have a CP count towards the next IC. The BFLs apply separately from the overall season BFL, which means that you can still score points for your IC race even if you have maxed out the season limit.
- Players finishing 1st ~ 4th: players receive a Travel Award amount prior to the event, and are fully responsible for booking their own travel and lodging. Players also have priority registration for the event.
- Travelling in region: $2,000 (over 18) and $2,500 (under 18 years of age).
- Travelling out of region: $3,500 (over 18) and $5,000 (under 18 years of age)
- Players finishing 5th ~ 8th: $1,000 paid after the event, subject to the players attending and playing at least one round of the main event. Players also have priority registration for the event.
- Players finishing 9th ~ 16th: players have priority registration for the event.
The travel awards and stipends are in US dollars (USD) and subject to applicable tax withholding.
The following are the dates of the Travel Award seasons:
| Travel Award Event | First day of qualification period | Last day of qualification period |
|---|---|---|
| LAIC | 8 Apr 2024 | 9 Jun 2024 |
| EUIC | 10 Jun 2024 | 17 Nov 2024 |
| NAIC | 18 Nov 2024 | 23 Feb 2025 |
2025 World Championships
Qualify for the World Championships!
The 2025 World Championships, held in Anaheim, CA, United States, on 15-17 August 2025, are the pinnacle of competition for the 2025 season. Players from all systems earn invites through various ways and compete in one single event.
It is still to be announced whether there will be different tiers of invites, as compared to last season. It has been confirmed that there will be no awarded Round 1 byes for top players in each region, contrary to the 2024 season.
* Players in the Middle East & South Africa rating zone are not eligible for travel stipends and awards.
| Rating Zone | Criteria | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| North America* | Top 75 players in the Masters Division in the US & Canada CP leaderboard Top 20 players in the Senior Division in the US & Canada CP leaderboard Top 20 players in the Junior Division in the US & Canada CP leaderboard | ||
| Europe* | Top 75 players in the Masters Division in the Europe CP leaderboard Top 20 players in the Senior Division in the Europe CP leaderboard Top 20 players in the Junior Division in the Europe CP leaderboard | ||
| Latin America* | Top 50 players in the Masters Division in the Latin America CP leaderboard Top 15 players in the Senior Division in the Latin America CP leaderboard Top 15 players in the Junior Division in the Latin America CP leaderboard | ||
| Oceania* | Top 20 players in the Masters Division in the Oceania CP leaderboard Top 10 players in the Senior Division in the Oceania CP leaderboard Top 10 players in the Junior Division in the Oceania CP leaderboard | ||
| Middle East and South Africa* | Top 5 players in the Masters Division in the ME&SA CP leaderboard Top 5 players in the Senior Division in the ME&SA CP leaderboard Top 5 players in the Junior Division in the ME&SA CP leaderboard | ||
| Japan | TBD (expected to depend on the results of the Japan National Championships) | ||
| South Korea | TBD (expected to depend on the results of the Korea Trainers Cup Final Round) | ||
| Asia-Pacific | TBD (best players of the Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand Master Ball Leagues) | ||
| 2025 International Championships |
| ||
| 2025 Regional & Special Championships | The Champions from each age division of every TPCi Regional and Special Championships worldwide | ||
| 2024 World Championships | Top 4 players from each age division in the 2024 World Championships | ||
* Players earning an invite through their results in a World, International, Regional, or Special Championship, will not count against the total invitation slots for their rating zone.
Prizes
Prizes are awarded to the best placing players in each division. The money will be given as cash, scholarship or a Visa Prepaid Card depending on the amount and age of the receiver. The prizes are in US dollars (USD) and subject to applicable tax withholding.
Further prizes like exclusive World Championships merchandise, Pokémon TCG Booster Packs and invites to the next World Championships are also normally given, but the specifics are announced closer to the event.
| Placement | Prize Money (per division) |
|---|---|
| Champion | $30,000 USD |
| Finalist | $20,000 USD |
| Semifinalists | $15,000 USD |
| 5th to 8th | $10,000 USD |
| 9th to 16th | $5,000 USD |
| 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 |
