Play! Pokémon is bringing live competitions back, updates COVID-19 health and safety policy

The Pokémon Company International has officially opened the doors on live competitions for Play! Pokémon events in the 2022 Pokémon Championship Series.

This is the first time in two years players in select locations will be able to compete in person as part of the Play! Pokémon circuit. They’ll work to earn Championship Points on the road to the 2022 Pokémon World Championships in London this summer. 

As expected from TPC’s previous messaging, there’s an updated COVID-19 health and safety policy in place for any players who plan to attend a Play! Pokémon event. This has all been detailed in a large document that pertains to everything from local events to Regional and International Championships.

Among those updated rules, TPC and Play! Pokémon will now require anyone attending events to wear “a surgical mask or respirator meeting specific international standards.” Cloth masks won’t be accepted as sufficient protection. Players will be required to sanitize their hands prior to facing each new opponent and eating and drinking are forbidden inside event venues outside of clearly marked areas or services. 

For larger, premier events such as Regional Championships, International Championships, and the World Championships, all attendees and staff must be fully vaccinated and provide valid proof of that vaccination, including booster doses. Additionally, players at those events must provide a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of the start of the tournament.

Larger events will also have limited capacity depending on the turnout and location. 

You can view upcoming events on the official Play! Pokémon website event locator, along with additional information about the 2022 Pokémon Championship Series and updated health and safety guidelines.