The 2026 Pokémon World Championships land in San Francisco this month, running August 28 through 30. Preliminary rounds take place at the Moscone Center, with the final rounds moving to Chase Center to close things out.

This year's Worlds carries extra weight: it lands during the franchise's 30th anniversary, and for the first time, it's sharing the weekend with PokémonXP, a new consumer convention running alongside the competition. Expect the usual mix of exhibitors around a tournament this size — the confirmed partner list includes LEGO, Crocs, Funko, Build-A-Bear, Bandai Spirits, and several others setting up alongside the competitive action.

On the competitive side, this is also the first World Championships run entirely on Pokémon Champions, following a season of regionals that have been building toward it since Indianapolis hosted the format's first tournament outside Asia back in May. Whoever takes the title will have come through a deep field — Worlds invites are earned through a full season of Regional and International Championship points, so the players making the trip to San Francisco are coming in as the best of a genuinely large field, not a handful of favorites.

We'll have more as the event approaches, including a closer look at which teams and players are considered the ones to watch heading in.