Despite controversy, Pokémon pros are positive about Worlds qualification 2025 changes

World Championship qualification for Pokémon esports will change in 2025, and most players have differing opinions on whether the changes are good or bad.

From 2025, only a set number of players who finish at the top of the regional leaderboards get an invite to the Pokémon World Championships. This differs from the previous method, which required players to hit a certain point threshold to be guaranteed an invite, no matter where they placed.

As you can imagine, limiting the slots upset many players because the previous system rewarded those with the time and funds to travel to multiple events over the year. But not everyone is upset by the announcement.

Dot Esports talked to a couple of players to get their opinions on the changes, and most felt they were required, even though most disagreed with them.

“I think the new Worlds qualification system will be a breath of fresh air to the competition,” U.K.-based Pokémon TCG player Adam Hawkins, who qualified for Worlds, told Dot Esports. “The competition itself has become a bit bloated, so I’m hoping that the new system adds a little more to qualifying for the World Championships and gives you the feeling of competing in an elite event.” Hawkins is heading to Hawaii for Worlds.

Another U.K. TCG player who qualified for Worlds, Rose Gregson, echoed that thought. “While the new Worlds invite structure may be very controversial, I feel like it is a very positive step in the right direction,” Gregson told Dot Esports. “When attending Worlds, your goal as a player should be to come first and do the best you possibly can. Otherwise, there is no point in playing in Worlds. If you finish outside of the top 125, you probably haven’t had a consistent enough season to qualify for Worlds and wouldn’t be qualified enough to win the World Championships.”

Gregson went on to say they wouldn’t want to attend Worlds being last. They want to play well enough to get to Worlds and feel like they earned their spot.

Not everyone might agree with their sentiment, though. There have been a ton of online threads on sites like Reddit calling for the changes to be reverted, as they feel Worlds should be a celebration of the community. It’ll be up to The Pokémon Company to see if the 2025 changes had the desired effect next year and whether it will revert them for the 2026 season.