The Pokémon Video Game World Championships is an invitation-only event. Players earn invitations to this prestigious competition by performing at an exceptional level throughout the Championship Series season.

Securing a VG World Championships Invitation

Top video game players from different rating zones will receive invitations based on their Championship Points standing at the end of the season. Invitations will be divided into two tiers: players who reach a certain Championship Points standing will receive an invitation to play in Day One on Friday, and the best players in each zone automatically qualify for Day Two and will also receive a Travel Award. Invitations will be distributed as follows:

Masters Division Senior Division Junior Division US and Canada 350 CP 325 CP 200 CP Europe 275 CP 200 CP 100 CP Latin America 150 CP 100 CP 100 CP Asia Pacific 200 CP 150 CP 100 CP South Africa 400 CP 400 CP 400 CP

Day Two Qualifiers

Some players will earn an invitation that allows them to advance directly to Day Two without playing in Friday's rounds. These invitations will also include Travel Awards. Day Two invitations are divided by rating zone as follows:

The Top 8 players from the US and Canada rating zone

The Top 16 players from the Europe rating zone

The Top 4 players from the Latin America rating zone

The Top 4 players from the Asia Pacific rating zone

Players in Japan and South Korea will be awarded both Friday invitations and Day Two invitations as determined by each country's organized play system.

Players with invitations from the 2015 World Championships will play on Friday unless they qualify for Day Two based on Championship Points.

VG Tournament Structure

The Pokémon VG World Championships is run in three phases over three days. The number of Swiss rounds will depend on total attendance at the event. Swiss rounds will use the best-of-three game format.

Friday: All players with Friday invitations will play Swiss rounds. Players with 2 or fewer losses will advance to Day Two Saturday.

Saturday: Swiss rounds for players who earned a Day Two invitation and players who advanced from Friday. This will be a new tournament: match records from Friday will not carry forward, and players are not required to use the same team they played with on Friday.

A top cut of players with no more than two losses (and no ties) will compete in single-elimination rounds later on Saturday. These rounds will use the best-of-three game format.

Sunday

The final round will be played in all age divisions.

Information subject to change.

Other VG Competition Information

Players must have an active Play! Pokémon account that is updated with accurate information. If there's an issue with your account, it must be reported to customer service before June 1, 2016.

If there's a problem with your Championship Point totals, it must be reported to customer service within a week after the results are uploaded from the last National Championships in your rating zone. (The deadline is expected to be July 10 for the US and Canada, and July 3 for all other zones.)

Players who wish to compete in a Pokémon video game event, including the World Championships, must adhere to the Tournament Rules.

Invitation and Travel Award winners will receive a packet of important information. Please make sure you read this packet thoroughly and return the requested documents to Pokémon Organized Play by the deadlines given. If you do not, you may lose your seat in the event. The packet will be sent to the email address listed on the player's account.

When you show up at a Pokémon video game tournament, there are some things you must have with you: A copy of Pokémon Omega Ruby or Pokémon Alpha Sapphire for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. A New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, or Nintendo 2DS system. It must be fully charged! A team of legal Pokémon per the Tournament Rules. In addition, players are strongly encouraged to bring a charger for their systems, as tournament staff will not have chargers available for loan.

Should a player's eligibility to participate in an age division be questioned, proof of age may be requested. Failure to provide proof of age may result in the player being denied participation in the tournament, at the organizer's discretion.

There is no entry fee for the Pokémon World Championships. Some side events may charge entry fees.

Last Chance Qualifier

There will not be a Last Chance Qualifier at the 2016 Pokémon World Championships. The tournament will begin on Friday, and all competitors must qualify via Championship Points. There is no path to Worlds that does not involve a certain level of performance at events throughout the year. We know that some fans are disappointed in this, but we feel strongly that Worlds competitors should earn their invitations through their tournament performances during the season.