Pokémon TCG World Championships
The Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships will take place from Friday, August 21, through Sunday, August 23, 2015, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-954-2000
The Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships is an invitation-only event, meaning only those players who earn an official invite from Pokémon Organized Play will be able to compete for the title of Pokémon World Champion.
Players who do not receive an official invite from Pokémon Organized Play can compete in side events, watch the main event, or participate in other great activities! There will not be a last chance qualifier at the 2015 Pokémon World Championships. Specific information for side events will be released at a later time.
Securing an Invitation
Top Trading Card Game players from different rating zones will receive invitations based on their Championship Points at the end of the season. Invitations will be divided into two tiers: players who reach a certain Championship Points total 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 300 CP 250 CP 200 CP
Europe 300 CP 250 CP 200 CP
Latin America 200 CP 150 CP 100 CP
Asia Pacific 200 CP 150 CP 100 CP
South Africa 200 CP 150 CP 100 CP
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 16 players from the US and Canada rating zone
The Top 22 players from the Europe rating zone
The Top 8 players from the Latin America rating zone
The Top 8 players from the Asia Pacific rating zone
Players in Japan and 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 2014 World Championships will play on Friday unless they qualify for Day Two based on Championship Points.
Tournament Structure
The tournament 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. All three phases will use the Standard format for card legality.
Friday: All players with Friday invitations will play Swiss rounds. Players with the required number of match points based upon the number of Swiss rounds will advance to Day Two on Saturday.
Rounds Match Points
4 6
5 9
6 12
7 15
8 18
9 21
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 deck they played on Friday.
Late Saturday: A top cut of 8 players will compete in single-elimination rounds.
Sunday: Finals.
Prizes
All players who have an invitation to the World Championships will receive an exclusive Pokémon World Championships Welcome Kit as an acknowledgement of their accomplishments during the season. Players must be on site to receive the Welcome Kit.
The top 32 finishers in each of the three age divisions receive the following scholarship awards:
1st: $25,000
2nd: $15,000
3rd and 4th: $7,500
5th–8th: $5,000
9th–16th: $2,500
17th–32nd: $1,500
1st–4th place also receive:
A Pokémon World Championships Trophy
Championship Points equal to the qualification level (To Be Announced) for the 2016 World Championships
A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players considered minors) to the 2016 World Championships
Two boxes of each of the most current Pokémon TCG expansions for a year
Factory-sealed full sets of the four most recent expansions
5th–32nd place also receive:
Two boxes of the most current Pokémon TCG expansion
Championship Points (specific award TBA)
Other 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 22, 2015.
Players will be required to register for the tournament online. Registration will begin in the spring.
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 Trading Card 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.
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.
Winners of select National Championships will be guaranteed Travel Awards even if they don’t qualify for a Day Two invitation in their rating zone.
