The Pokémon World Championships 2022 has just ended, with thousands of Pokémon fans and gamers congregating at the event in London. This marks the first time the championship has been held in Europe. Due to the pandemic, it’s also the first time the event has been held in three years.
The Pokémon World Championship is the most prominent Pokémon tournament in which fans compete in various Pokémon games and card tournaments. Competitors are divided into three age groups. The Junior division consists of players 12 and under, the senior division consists of players ages 12-16 and the senior division is for players 16 years of age and older.
Games in which trainers competed for the world champion title include Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield (VG), Pokémon UNITE and Pokémon GO. In fact, this is the first time the event includes a Pokémon GO championship .
The 2022 Pokémon World Champions
Pokémon Trading Card Game
- Masters Champion: Ondrej Skubal (CZ)
- Seniors Champion: Liam Halliburton (US)
- Juniors Champion: Rikuto Ohashi (JP)
Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Masters Champion: Eduardo Cunha (PT)
- Seniors Champion: Yasuharu Shimizu (JP)
- Juniors Champion: Kosaku Miyamoto (JP)
Pokémon Go
- Masters Champion: Robert ‘DancingRob’ Waßmer (DE)
- Seniors Champion: Maxwell ‘MEWeedle’ Ember (UK)
Pokkén Tournament
- Masters Champion: Davon ‘Shadowcat’ Amos (US)
- Seniors Champion: Reuben ‘Fruitprime’ Staples (UK)
Pokémon Unite
- Champions: BLVKHVND
Winners of the Pokémon World Champion for each tournament will receive a Pokémon Prepaid Visa worth thousands of US dollars.
During the closing ceremony, the venue for next year’s 2023 Pokémon World Championships was revealed as Yokohama, Japan. This is the first time the event will be held in Japan.
Beyond Pokémon: The Esports Industry
There has been a rising interest in the Esports industry over the past few years. Manchester’s UCFB Etihad Campus is now offering a degree in Esports. Recently David Beckham became co-owner of Guild Esports, which intern just signed a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola. PWR recently opened an esports training facility inside Fortnite. The company is testing the virtual facilities layout before building a physical twin in the real world. Likewise, esports team GodLike unveiled its Bootcamp gaming facility earlier this summer.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
