The coronavirus has transformed into a pandemic, and numerous events and competitions have been canceled in an attempt to stem the disease’s spread. While Pokemon is a game that can be played over the Internet, it still is host to a variety of physical competitions where trainers battle their way to the top. But, in the face of a growing epidemic, not even Pokemon is immune to schedule changes that minimize social interaction, because we must try to flatten the curve.
Earlier today, the official Play! Pokemon site announced that all upcoming events have been cancelled. This decision will stay in effect until May 14th and impact TCG and video game competitions in North America, South America, Latin America, Europe, Oceania, and South Africa.
Canceled events include all upcoming Pokemon Regional Championships, Special Events, League Challenges, League Cups, Premier Challenges, Midseason Showdowns, and Prerelease tournaments. While independent events might not be canceled, members of Play! Pokemon urge independent organizers to “act in the best interest of their event and community, including always being mindful of the safety of participants.” Moreover, to enforce the crenelation, the organization will not award players any championship points until May 14th, just in case some trainers want to take advantage of the coronavirus to game the system.
The Play! Pokemon organization plans to “closely monitor health mandates, guidelines, and recommendations,” as well as evaluate future independent and official events on case-by-case bases. Therefore, the cancellation schedule is subject to change. While competitions are unlikely to resume before May 14th, the cancellations could possibly extend past that date.
Play! Pokemon competitions are the latest in a long list of events that have been canceled due to coronavirus concerns, including TwitchCon Amsterdam, BitSummit, E3, and the Pokemon Europe International Championships.
For more news on events and how the coronavirus will impact them, stick with Twinfinite. Stay safe out there.
