2023 Pokemon World Championships: Prize pool, schedule, in-game promos, and how to watch
Tune in to see who will be the very best, like no one ever was, and grab some cool stuff for your various Pokemon games.
The 2023 Pokemon World Championships are about to begin and run throughout the weekend. Competitors from around the world are gathering in Yokohama, Japan for a chance to battle across Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, The Pokemon Trading Card Game, Pokemon GO, and Pokemon Unite. Shacknews is here for our full guide on how to check out all of the action.
How much is the 2023 Pokemon World Championships prize pool?
The 2023 Pokemon World Championships will award over $1,000,000 USD in cash and scholarships across two different age groups. Here are the current prize totals for each of the three games set to be played over the weekend:
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet/The Pokemon Trading Card Game/Pokemon GO/Pokemon Unite
- 1st place - $10,000, a World Champion Trophy, a Champion Stamped Worlds Promo Card, Top 8/16/32 Stamped World Promo Cards, Champion Hoodie, Champion Playmat, Champion Messenger Bag, Champion Hat, Top 8 Playmat, Top 8 Hat, Top 32 Hat
- 2nd place - $7,500, Finalist Trophy, Finalist Stamped Worlds Promo Card, Top 8/16/32 Stamped World Promo Cards, Top Trainer Messenger Bag, Top 8 Playmat, Top 8 Hat, Top 32 Hat
- 3rd-4th place - $5,000, Semifinalist Trophy, Semifinalist Stamped Worlds Promo Card, Top 8/16/32 Stamped World Promo Cards, Top Trainer Messenger Bag, Top 8 Playmat, Top 8 Hat, Top 32 Hat
- 5th-8th place - $3,000, Top Trainer Messenger Bag, Top 8/16/32 Stamped World Promo Cards, Top 8 Playmat, Top 8 Hat, Top 32 Hat
- 9th-16th place - $1,500, Top Trainer Messenger Bag, Top 16/32 Stamped World Promo Cards, Top 32 Hat
The top four finishers in both age divisions for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet will receive an automatic invite to the 2024 Pokemon World Championships. All Top 16 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet players will also receive 72 Pokemon TCG booster packs.
What are the different competitive Pokemon age groups?
You might see the terms Masters, Senior, and Junior divisions a lot this weekend. These represent the three different age groups that will compete at this tournament. Here are the distinct age groups:
- Masters Division - Born in 2006 or earlier
- Senior Division - Born anytime from 2007-2010
- Junior Division - Born in 2011 or later
Both the Pokemon TCG and VGC competitions have a Masters, Senior, and Junior divisions. Pokemon GO and Pokemon Unite do not have separate age divisions.
What's the 2023 Pokemon World Championships Schedule?
Here's the full schedule for the weekend (all times listed in PT):
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
- Thursday, August 10, 5:00 p.m.-4:30 a.m.: Day 1 Swiss
- Friday, August 11, 5:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: Day 2 Swiss, Top 8, Top 4
- Saturday, August 12, 10:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.: Final matches for all age divisions
The Pokemon Trading Card Game
- Thursday, August 10, 5:00 p.m.-4:30 a.m.: Day 1 Swiss
- Friday, August 11, 5:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: Day 2 Swiss, Top 8, Top 4
- Saturday, August 12, 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.: Final matches for all age divisions
Pokemon GO
- Thursday, August 10, 5:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.: Bracket Stage
- Friday, August 11, 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.: Bracket Stage until Top 2
- Saturday, August 12, 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.: Grand Finals
Pokemon Unite
- Thursday, August 10, 5:00 p.m.-4:00 a.m.: Group Play
- Friday, August 11, 5:00 p.m.-5:00 a.m.: Bracket Play
Closing Ceremonies
- Sunday, August 13: 1:00 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
How to Watch the 2023 Pokemon World Championships
Twitch streams are available for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, The Pokemon Trading Card Game, Pokemon GO, and Pokemon Unite. The final day will be seen in its entirety on the main Pokemon Twitch channel.
Individual streams can also be found on the Pokemon YouTube channel.
2023 Pokemon World Championship in-game events and giveaways
For the home viewer, this is the main event. What can you, the average Pokemon player get from this championship weekend?
If you're an avid player of The Pokemon Trading Card Game, tune in this weekend for a special code to receive a Charizard EX card. This full art card, from the Obsidian Flames expansion, features shifting types. Those who play Pokemon Scarlet & Violet can pick up Eduardo Cunha's 2022 Pokemon VGC World Championships-winning Level 50 Gastrodon, which has a Calm nature, the Storm Drain ability, Leftovers, and the Earth Power, Icy Wind, Yawn, and Protect moves. To learn more about this giveaway, visit the Pokemon Worlds website.
Source: The Pokemon Company
For Pokemon Unite players, the WCS Prediction Event has begun. Predict the winning teams and their rankings and earn a special Trainer fashion item. Log into Pokemon Unite to learn more. Plus, don't forget that the Pokemon Unite second anniversary celebration is happening now, so punch in the gift code 2NDANNIVERSARY to pick up limited licenses for Mew and Mewtwo.
Finally, Pokemon GO players can pick up special Timed Research codes. Day 1 will feature the Great League Greatness Timed Research and Day 2 will feature DancingRob's Champion Timed Research. Tune in to the Pokemon GO Twitch channel during the competition to find your codes, which will expire 30 minutes after they're revealed on-stream. It's possible to find these codes during the rebroadcast, however. Visit the Pokemon GO website to learn more and also for instructions on how to redeem your code.
How to Watch the 2023 Pokemon World Championships VODs
The full broadcast, as well as top matches from the weekend, are being posted in full on the Pokemon YouTube channel.
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