New Pokémon Players Cup online tournament for Masters Division competitors begins in July 2020

The Pokémon Company International has officially announced the Pokémon Players Cup. Read on below for more details:

PLAY! POKÉMON INVITES COMPETITORS TO BATTLE ONLINE THIS SUMMER IN THE POKÉMON PLAYERS CUP. Players from Around the World Can Show Off Their Skills in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokémon Video Game Championships, or Pokkén Tournament DX.

The Pokémon Company International today announced the Pokémon Players Cup, a new online tournament for Masters Division competitors[1] that will begin in July 2020. Competitors in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Video Game Championships (VGC), and Pokkén Tournament DX will have the chance to prove they’re the very best in this official Play! Pokémon online tournament open to players worldwide.

The Pokémon Players Cup will have two stages. In July 2020, eligible players will compete in a double-elimination bracket, broken down by rating zones, to determine the top players in each rating zone. Those top finishers will face off in the final stage of the Pokémon Players Cup in August 2020, when the winner will be crowned as the champion of the Pokémon Players Cup and earn a Travel Award to a future International Championships event, part of the traditional Play! Pokémon Championship Series.

“The Pokémon competitive community is very special, and we can’t wait for players to virtually connect with each other in the new online Pokémon Players Cup,” said Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “With the postponement of traditional Play! Pokémon in-person tournaments, we hope to see some intense battles and the community’s legendary sportsmanship on display at the Pokémon Players Cup.”

Pokémon TCG and VGC competitors will need to qualify for the Pokémon Players Cup through their performance in the following upcoming events. Trainers should make sure to bring their A game to these upcoming qualifiers so they can compete in the Pokémon Players Cup!

Pokémon TCG Championships
Pokémon TCG competitors will qualify through their ranking on the June Leaderboard (Standard format, Tournament Rep) in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online.

Pokémon VG Championships
Pokémon Video Game Championships competitors will qualify through the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield International Challenge May Online Competition, which runs from May 21 to 24, 2020. Masters Division competitors in the Pokémon VGC will need to finish among the top eligible Trainers in their rating zone for the May International Challenge to qualify for the Pokémon Players Cup.

North America: Top 256
Europe: Top 256
Oceania: Top 128
Latin America: Top 256

Please note that in order for Pokémon VGC competitors to be eligible, they will need to link their Nintendo Account with their Pokémon Trainer Club account before signing up.

Pokkén Tournament DX Championships
Pokkén Tournament DX competitors will be able to register directly for the first stage of the Pokémon Players Cup at a future date, with more details coming soon at Pokemon.com.
In addition, during the Pokémon Players Cup, each of the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon VGC, and Pokkén Tournament DX competitions will kick off with a special invitational event, with the winners qualifying for the final stage of the competition.
Trainers can stay tuned to https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/ for more upcoming information about the Pokémon Players Cup and where fans can catch all the action via stream.

[1] Only Masters Division players who have opted in to participating in all available Play! Pokémon programs are eligible to participate in the Play! Pokémon Players Cup Online Tournament. The Masters Division includes players born in 2004 or earlier.

Source: The Pokémon Company International