In their statement, released this afternoon, the company explained:
The company gave “limited venue capacity and overwhelming demand” as their reasoning for this rather late announcement, although the failed mass shooting plot that took place at last year’s event, while not specifically mentioned by the those at Pokémon Company HQ, may well have been a deciding factor in these new regulations, too.
Many fans are likely to be dismayed at hearing this change in entry regulations, but all is not lost. For those that wish to follow the action as it happens, the event will be broadcast live across 4 different channels at Pokemon.com/Live. A schedule for the live-streams can be found here, although the times are subject to change – so do keep an eye on the page as the weekend draws closer.
The Pokémon World Championships is the event of the year for hardcore Pokémon gamers. Each year, participants from over 35 countries come together to compete for the title of World Champion, along with a share of the $500,000 worth of prizes, consisting of scholarships, cash prizes, and travel certificates.
This year the Championships will take place in San Francisco on August 19th-21st.
