Competitor Information
2024 Pokémon TCG World Championships Competitor Information
Competitors at the World Championships will be vying for the title of Pokémon TCG World Champion as well as great prizes. Competitors in all age divisions will begin play on Friday, August 16, and conclude on Sunday, August 18. Competitors must be in good standing with the Play! Pokémon program to participate and must have an active Play! Pokémon account with current and accurate information.
Competitors must comply with the Tournament Rules. This competition will use the Standard format.
Qualifications
Competitors qualify for Worlds by earning Championship Points at events throughout the Championship Series season. Pokémon TCG, Pokémon video game, and Pokémon GO players must hit a threshold of Championship Points to earn their Worlds invitation. The number of Championship Points required to receive an invitation is based on both geographical rating zone and age division.
The very best competitors will receive an award for travel to attend the event.
Competitors in Japan, South Korea, China, and the Asia-Pacific region will be awarded World Championships invitations per their regions’ organized play and esports programs. Players from these rating zones are not eligible to earn World Championships invitations through Championship Points or through automatic invites earned by winning Regional or International Championships.
2024 Pokémon TCG World Championships Qualifications
Invitations will be awarded to all Pokémon TCG players in good standing who have earned at least the following amounts of Championship Points (CP):
| Rating Zone | Junior | Senior | Masters |
| US and Canada | 450 | 450 | 600 |
| Europe | 350 | 350 | 500 |
| Latin America | 250 | 250 | 350 |
| Oceania | 250 | 250 | 300 |
| Middle East & South Africa | 200 | 200 | 250 |
Championship Point requirements are subject to change.
Additionally, there are different levels of invites that competitors may earn, with varying levels of travel support provided:
- Tier 1 Invite: Worlds Invitation + Travel Award + Round 1 Bye
- Tier 2 Invite: Worlds Invitation + Travel Stipend
- Tier 3 Invite: Worlds Invitation only
Note: Competitors in South Africa are not eligible for Travel Awards and Travel Stipends.
The below table lays out what type of invite a TCG competitor earns based on their final ranking in the Championship Points standings in their rating zone and age division at the end of the season.
| Rating Zone | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
| US and Canada | 1-16 | 17-22 | Tier 3* |
| Europe | 1-22 | 23-28 | |
| Latin America | 1-12 | 13-16 | |
| Oceania | 1-4 | 5-8 | |
| Middle East & South Africa | 1-2 | - |
Tier 3* - All other competitors who earn enough Championship Points to meet the qualification threshold in their rating zone or a guaranteed invite from placing highly in an eligible event.
Competitors must still earn the prerequisite number of Championship Points for a Tier 3 invite to be eligible for Tier 1 and Tier 2 invites. Guaranteed invites from event placements do not pass down if the recipient qualifies for Worlds through other means.
Tournament Format and Structure
The number of Swiss rounds will be determined by attendance, with Junior, Senior, and Masters Division play split between two days.
| Checked in Players | Swiss Rounds | ||
| Total | Day 1 | Day 2 | |
| 1–128 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 129–256 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 257–512 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| 513–1,024 | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| 1,025–2,048 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Checked in Players | Day 2 Match Point Threshold |
| 1–128 | 12 |
| 129–256 | 15 |
| 257–512 | 18 |
| 513–1,024 | 18 |
| 1,025–2,048 | 18 |
- Match win = 3 match points
- Match tie = 1 match point
- Match loss = 0 match points
Each round, you will be paired against another competitor to play your match. You will be able to find your table number through your RK9 Player Portal or at the Pokémon TCG Hive. Ensure you arrive at your table on time. Being late to a match can result in penalties.
After Day 1, Masters, Senior, and Junior Division competitors who meet the Day 2 Match Points threshold will advance to Day 2 of Swiss rounds. After all Swiss rounds are completed, the Top 8 competitors and all other competitors with an equal number of match points as 8th place (to a maximum of 32) will advance to an asymmetrical top cut single-elimination bracket to determine the winner of each event.
Junior and Senior Division competitors will have one meal break per day. Exact timing for each event’s meal break will be announced on-site for each event. There is no scheduled meal break for competitors in the Masters Division.
Event structure subject to change.
What to Bring
When you show up at a Pokémon TCG tournament, there are some things you must have with you:
- Your deck as registered for the tournament
- Damage counters and condition markers
- A coin or coin-flip-legal die
- A pen to fill out your match slip
Card sleeves are strongly encouraged. Optional items include a playmat and a notepad for taking notes during the event.
Proof of age may be requested, and failure to provide proof of age may result in the player being denied participation in the tournament (at the organizer’s discretion).
Pokémon TCG Banned Card List
- Sprigatito SVP #001
- Fuecoco SVP #002
- Quaxly SVP #003
- Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat SVP #085
- Oddish SVP #102
- Pecharunt SVP #129
- Pecharunt SVP #149
Registration
Players who have qualified for the Pokémon TCG World Championships will be contacted directly by an administrator of the Play! Pokémon program. Players must be in good standing with the Play! Pokémon program and have an active Play! Pokémon account with current and accurate information.
All Pokémon TCG competitors must submit their deck list online with the RK9 Labs Deck List Creator by 8 a.m. local time on Friday, August 16, 2024. All players are permitted to use English cards, plus all languages that are legal in their home rating zone.
Any lists not submitted on time may result in a Round 1 loss. For information on how to submit your list for the event, see RK9’s support article for Pokémon TCG deck lists.
Your birth date is required to make sure you play in the correct age division for the event you are attempting to register for. Without the ability to confirm your birth date, you cannot register online for any event.
Check-In and Badge Pickup
Badges for this event can be picked up on-site at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in the Coral Ballroom. All attendees are highly encouraged to pick up their badges on Thursday, August 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Prizes
Pokémon TCG, Pokémon , Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE competitors from around the world are competing for the title of World Champion—as well as more than in prizes—at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships.
The format of the prize is dependent on the age of the recipient.
18 years of age and older
- Awards of $5,000 or more: Choice of scholarship or cash
- Awards under $5,000: Cash
Under 18 years of age
- Awards of $5,000 or more: Choice of scholarship or Pokémon Visa® prepaid card
- Awards under $5,000: Pokémon Visa® prepaid card
2024 Pokémon TCG World Championships Prizes
| Placement | Prize |
| 1 | $50,000 |
| 2 | $30,000 |
| 3-4 | $20,000 |
| 5-8 | $15,000 |
| 9-16 | $10,000 |
| 17-32 | $5,000 |
2024 Pokémon World Championships Travel Stipend & Travel Award Values
Competitors who qualify for a Travel Stipend are eligible to receive $1,000 USD (pre-tax), paid after the event, and subject to attendance and completing at least one round of play in the tournament.
Competitors who qualify for a Travel Award will receive a flat amount prior to the event. The amount is based on the age of the recipient, their region of residence, and the region of the event. They are as follows:
Travel Award Amounts (Pre-tax) |
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| Out of Region | In Region | |
| Age 18+ | $3,500 | $2,000 |
| Under Age 18 | $5,000 | $2,500 |
Competitors are fully responsible for booking their own hotel and travel.
To ensure there are no delays in receiving Travel Awards, competitors should check to make sure the information on their Play! Pokémon accounts is accurate and up to date.
Additional Prizes
Additionally, the Top 32 Pokémon TCG players will receive 72 Pokémon TCG booster packs, regardless of the number of competitors at the event. All participants will earn 5 Play! Points. Prizes and products are subject to change, and substitutions may be made due to unforeseen inventory shortages.
| Placement | Prizes |
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1st Place |
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2nd Place |
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3rd Place |
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4th Place |
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5th–8th Place |
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9th–32nd Place |
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Please check the attendee registration portal for more information regarding the competition.