London’s ExCeL exhibition center is set to host the 2022 Pokémon World Championships this coming August, the first of its kind since 2019.
The annual World Championship was held every year since 2004, but there was unavoidable hiatus the past two years. With the global situation improving, the Championships have returned and will be held outside of North America for the very first time.
The Pokemon World Championships will take place at the event between August 18-21 and organizers have announced outlined protocols that will be in place to ensure that the health of competitors is not at risk.
A new title, the ever-popular Pokémon Unite, will now be included for the first time. This will be alongside existing tournaments for Pokémon’s TCG, Pokémon Sword & Shield, Pokémon GO, and Pokkén Tournament DX.
Qualification for most games is still based on the Championship Points system, earning points through smaller tournaments during the year. However Pokémon Unite has instead seen the introduction of its monthly Championship Series that allows teams 10 regional zones around the globe to earn their spot in London. The Pokémon Unite World Championship alone will include a $500,000 prize pool, with prize money for other games yet to be revealed.
The announcement of the World Championships also added that the event will be open a day earlier than the competition, on August 17, to host the Pokémon Center store, “where fans will be able to purchase a wide variety of products including a range of items themed around the tournament.”
London was announced as the host city earlier this year and, only now, is the ExCeL confirmed as the exact location. ExCeL London has hosted countless events since its opening in 2000, from yearly exhibitions across varying industries to the summer Olympics in 2012.
Its main event halls can house up to 65,000 attendees, leaving the Pokémon World Championships with ample room to allow vast numbers of both competitors and viewers to get in on the action.
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