After 3 years, Pokémon is finally supporting smaller tournaments again

Play! Pokémon just announced some good news for players in the competitive scene. For the first time in three years, local in-store tournaments will finally be brought back into the circuit for TCG and VGC. Local Pokémon Go tournaments will also be starting up for the first time in North America in April alongside TCG’s League Cups and League Challenges. VGC is set to return a month later with its Premier Challenge events in May.

These smaller tournaments were among the many events impacted by the global COVID pandemic. Back in 2020, the entire Pokémon Championship Series was cut short, suspending all tournaments, big or small.

While the larger tournaments—Regionals, Internationals, and Worlds—have since resumed, it’s taken a lot longer to get the much smaller in-store competitions back on their feet. But now that they’re officially set to return, this gives players even more opportunities to earn Championship Points and prizes closer to home.

The amount of Championship Points on the line might be smaller for these in-store tournaments, but all will count toward a possible 2023 World Championships invite to Yokohama, Japan. Pokémon Go players will also be able to compete for travel stipends for the upcoming North America International Championships if they earn enough Championship Points.

To see where upcoming in-store tournaments are being held, check out the official Play! Pokémon Event Locator page.