Competitive Pokemon players and fans alike are gearing up for the 2026 Pokemon World Championships. This year’s event takes place in San Francisco, California, from August 28th to 30th. Finalists will face off across the spectrum of competitive Pokemon games, including the Pokemon TCG, Pokemon Go, Pokemon Unite, and the Pokemon VCG. But new information confirms this may be the last year of the Pokemon World Championships in their current format.
While we’re still over a month away from the 2026 Pokemon World Championships, details about the 2027 competition series have begun to emerge. And according to reliable Pokemon information source Serebii, there will be some big changes to the competitive scene starting next year. This makes the 2026 Championships the end of an era for two key competitive games: Pokemon Unite and Pokemon Go.
Ahead of the 2026 World Championships, The Pokemon Company has begun revealing details for next year’s series. Primarily, this includes the dates for regional and international championships for 2027. Alongside the list of dates and locations, however, a few more key details have emerged. And they mark a shift in the competitive landscape compared to this year and prior competitions.
First and foremost, Pokemon Unite will not be a part of the 2027 Championship Series. That means players will no longer be able to compete in Pokemon Unite via official regional or international championships, and it won’t be present at the 2027 World Championships. That said, it’s not the full end of official Pokemon Unite competitions just yet. There will be one competitive event held in Tokyo in March 2027, following a qualifying event that will take place later this year.
From the sounds of it, Pokemon is stepping back from Pokemon Unite as a major pillar in its competitive scene. This has led many fans to fear for the future of the MOBA, which is going on 5 years old now. However, it sounds like the game will continue at least through March 2027, even if it will be a smaller part of the competitive scene.
Pokemon Unite might be the biggest change for competitive Pokemon going forward, but it’s not the only one. Starting next year, Pokemon Go will see some changes to its competitive format, as well. The World Championships for Pokemon Go 2027 will switch to a team format, with teams of 3 comprised of players who qualify for Worlds. Otherwise, it sounds like the competitive format for Pokemon Go will be largely unchanged up until the finals, at least for next year.
In all, the 2026 Pokemon World Championships will be the last go for Pokemon Unite and the current format for Pokemon Go. This, along with the first-ever Pokemon XP fan convention, make this year’s event all the more enticing for Pokemon fans. It’s also fairly likely we’ll get some new announcements from The Pokemon Company during the event, as is often the case. So, mark your calendars for August 28th-30th and be sure to tune in to this year’s event virtually or in person if you want to witness the end of an era, and quite possibly, our next look at Pokemon Winds and Waves.
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