If you just got started with VGC, you might be wondering what sort of tournaments you can compete in. The Play! Pokémon circuit is the official circuit run by The Pokémon Company International (TPCi). These tournaments are held in person (with one minor exception) throughout the year, culminating in the invite-only World Championships in August. There are tournaments of all shapes and sizes-- from laid-back small events in local game stores to international championships where the world’s best battle it out for prizes and trophies.

Placing well in sanctioned tournaments awards championship points (CP). Players that earn above a certain amount of CP are eligible to play in the World Championships that year. For the most part, even the smallest tournaments will award CP to their top finishers. 

Tournaments require a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Pokémon Sword and Shield. For other things you might want for a tournament, click here.

How do tournaments work?

At the beginning of a tournament, you’ll lock in a team of 6 Pokémon, meaning you won’t be able to change anything about it until the tournament is completely over. You’ll fill out a team sheet detailing the stats, moves, abilities, and items of your Pokémon and hand it to the organizer. Tournament games are best of 3. You’ll play an opponent and the first player to win two battles gets the round win. A round can take between 20 and 50 minutes.

Tournaments have two phases: Swiss and Top Cut. In Swiss, you’ll always play an opponent with your round score. For example, if you win your first game, you’ll play someone else who won their first game-- and if you lose, you’ll then play another opponent with 1 win and 1 loss. Swiss continues for a set number of rounds based on the number of players at the tournament (which is determined at the start of a tournament). Once Swiss is finished, the players with the best records will move on to Top Cut. Top Cut is a single elimination bracket and players battle until one remains, who is then crowned as champion.

For more about Swiss and Top Cut, click here.

What are the different types of tournaments?

There are five distinct kinds of in-person tournaments.

Premier challenges. These are the smallest and most frequent sanctioned events, and often take a few hours on a weekend afternoon in a local game store. Usually, these tournaments have 4-6 rounds of Swiss and 3 rounds of Top Cut. Prizes are usually small and are determined by the organizer.

Midseason Showdowns. These tournaments also mostly happen at local game stores. They give out more CP, but happen less frequently.  More players attend Midseason Showdowns, meaning they take longer than Premier Challenges. Usually, these tournaments have 4-7 rounds of Swiss and 3 rounds of Top Cut. 

Regionals. These tournaments are large and happen in convention centers. Usually, a couple hundred players will attend. They take up a full Saturday (Swiss) and Sunday (Top Cut). There are only a handful of them that happen across the four rating zones. They pay out a lot of CP and have cash prizes. Usually, these tournaments have 8-10 rounds of Swiss and 4-5 rounds of Top Cut.

International Championships. Only one of these tournaments happens per year per rating zone. These tournaments take a full Friday to Sunday, although many players will not be actively playing on Saturday and Sunday. Several hundred players will attend. International Championships pay out much more money and CP than Regionals. Players from different rating zones may earn stipends to travel to them. 

World Championships. The World Championships are an invite-only tournament in August where players who accumulate above a certain amount of CP can fight for the title and substantial cash prizes. Worlds typically has 3 phases:

• Friday aka Day 1 (Swiss). All players with a Day 1 invitation play, and any player with 2 losses or less moves on

• Saturday aka Day 2 (Swiss + Top Cut) All players with a Day 2 invitation play Swiss into Top Cut, and single elimination Top Cut plays until two players remain.

• Sunday aka Finals: The last two players battle it out for the title of World Champion.

All of these tournaments happen in person and are the only events which pay out CP. The one exception is International Challenges (which are different than International Championships!). These are the only internet tournaments to pay out CP. They pay out roughly the same amount of CP as a Midseason Showdown.