The Pokemon World Championships need to keep moving around the globe, but the event's massive growth is making that harder than ever.
The Pokemon World Championships are supposed to represent the entire world, so it only makes sense that the event itself would move around every once in a while. Pokemon has done exactly that before, taking Worlds to places like Canada, London, and Yokohama, but the event has remained in the United States for the last few years, including two consecutive stops in California. According to The Pokemon Company's Director of Global Esports and Events Chris Brown, though, that isn't something Pokemon wants to become the norm.
Speaking with GameRant during a group Q&A at the 2026 Pokemon World Championships, Brown made it clear that Pokemon intends to look outside the United States again as it plans future editions of Worlds. The problem is that the event has gotten so big that there are only so many places capable of hosting it anymore, and keeping the World Championships moving around could eventually mean Pokemon has to make some compromises regarding just how large each individual event can be.
Pokemon had a reason for keeping Worlds in California for two years in a row. Brown actually explained that doing so was an intentional decision designed to simplify some of the operational challenges involved with an event that has continued to grow considerably over time. "We have been in the US for a couple of years now, and some of that was to help make sure that this event would be successful because it simplified our operations a little bit," Brown stated.
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