The Play! Pokémon Team Challenge is a new Pokémon TCG tournament where players can create four-person teams with their local game store and compete for prizes and glory! The tournament is open to Masters Division players (players in Brazil must be 18 years or older).
The Team Challenge is entirely virtual—all matches will be held through the Pokémon TCG Online and hosted by tournamentcenter BVBA. Stay connected with your friends and your gaming community while staying safe!
To participate in the Play! Pokémon Team Challenge, use the Play! Pokémon store finder to locate participating stores near you. You can register to play at www.tournamentcenter.gg in late November!
Stream Information
Don’t miss the exciting conclusion to the Play! Pokémon Team Challenge! The final rounds will be streamed live on May 28–30, starting at 11 a.m. PST each day. You can catch the action on Twitch, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Broadcasters Jeremy Jallen and Kyle Sabelhaus will host and offer insight for this global event.
Team Challenge Structure
The Team Challenge kicks off on December 5, 2020, and will run over six months, giving participants lots of opportunity to compete and advance.
In the first stage, individual stores will host Qualifier tournaments via the Pokémon TCG Online. The winners from each of these individual tournaments will form a team as representatives of their store. This Qualifier round is expected to run about 10 weeks and conclude on February 28, 2021.
Once the teams are in place for each store, they will compete against teams from other stores in an elimination bracket. Each bracket match will be a 3v3 round-robin competition against another team, with the team that earns five or more wins advancing to the next round. Initially teams will play other stores from their city, and then will be reseated at regional, national, and global levels if they progress. This round will also take approximately 10 weeks, starting on March 20, 2021.
The Team Challenge culminates in a Grand Final between the top two stores’ teams in late May 2021.
Pokémon TCG Format
The initial round of the Team Challenge will use the 2021 Standard format, including the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Vivid Voltage expansion. The format will be updated to include new expansions as they launch.
Player and Store Eligibility
The Team Challenge is open to Masters Division players (born in 2004 or earlier, or age 18 and over in Brazil) who have a Pokémon Trainer Club account and valid Pokémon Player ID. Stores who host Play! Pokémon events are eligible to host a team for this event.
Stores and players from the following regions/countries are eligible to participate in the Team Challenge:
North America: Canada, United States of America (including Puerto Rico)
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (age 18 or older), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
Prizes
At the Qualifiers stage, all participants will earn virtual Pokémon TCG Online prizes (including exclusive Pokémon TCG Online accessories), and winners of each Qualifier receive an event playmat.
The top 256 teams will earn additional exclusive playmats, virtual Pokémon TCG prizes, and other online prizes. In addition, the top 8 teams will earn physical Pokémon TCG prizes. Check back for more information on prizing soon.
