POKÉMON GO INVITATIONAL ANNOUNCED AND OFFICIAL ARTWORK REVEALED FOR 2019 POKÉMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

More than 7,000 competitors, spectators, and fans will converge in Washington, DC, from Friday, August 16, to Sunday, August 18, for the 2019 Pokémon World Championships. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center will host some of the world’s most elite Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and Pokémon video game players from nearly 50 countries. These players will compete for the coveted title of World Champion and more than $500,000 in scholarships, cash, and prizes.

The Pokémon World Championships have always been the home of the most exciting, highest-stakes Pokémon battles, and this year Pokémon GO will join the premier gaming event with a special competition. Trainer Battles, a competitive battling feature within the mobile game, will be on display in the first Pokémon GO Invitational on Friday, August 16, immediately following the opening ceremony. Fans will be able to watch all the action in this officially streamed Pokémon GO Trainer Battle event live at Twitch.tv/Pokemon and at YouTube.com/Pokemon.

In celebration of this new event, The Pokémon Company International will select one lucky fan in the US to compete in the tournament. Starting today through Wednesday, July 31, at 5 p.m. PDT, aspiring champions currently registered as a spectator can enter the Pokémon GO Invitational Sweepstakes at https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/worlds/2019/pokemon-go-invitational-tournament/ for a chance to showcase their Trainer Battle skills on the main stage of the Pokémon World Championships. The winner will be drawn at random prior to the event. The full terms and conditions can be found here.

The Pokémon Company International also unveiled the official 2019 Pokémon World Championships artwork today. Every year, special artwork is created for the Pokémon World Championships, often inspired by the location where the event is held. This year’s artwork celebrates exploration and draws inspiration from the world-class museums that can be found in Washington, DC.

Badged spectators and competitors can also be among the first to try out Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield and the upcoming mobile game, Pokémon Masters at the 2019 Pokémon World Championships. These highly anticipated games will be in a special demo area at the event.

For more information about the 2019 Pokémon World Championships, please visit https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/worlds/2019/about/.