2016 World Championships

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The 2016 Pokémon World Championships will be held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in San Francisco, California from August 19 to 21, 2016. It will be the thirteenth invitation-only championships for players of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as the eighth for players of the Pokémon video games. In addition, it is also the second event to host a Pokkén Tournament competition (and the first to have it announced in advance). It is the first time that San Francisco will host the event.

Similar to the previous year's event, there will be no Last Chance Qualifiers for either the Trading Card Game or the video games at the event. Instead, players who earned enough Championship Points during the preceding season will have the opportunity to enter the tournaments on either Friday or Saturday, depending on the amount of Championship Points received. The Pokkén Tournament Championships, on the other hand, is open for registration by any player.

Trading Card Game Championships

The Pokémon Trading Card Game will feature the 2015-16 Standard format, using all cards from XY onward. Players were able to receive invitations from outstanding performances at their country's National Championships, the previous year's World Championships, or through the number of Championship Points they obtained throughout the year.

The first day of the tournament will feature a preliminary tournament for all World Championship qualifiers who did not earn an automatic invitation to day two. Players who earn enough match points during Swiss rounds will join the automatic qualifiers on day two. The second day of the tournament will feature a series of Swiss rounds in each division. At the end of Swiss rounds, the top eight players in each division will be seeded into single-elimination tournaments, with the finals being played on Sunday, to determine each division's World Champion.

Junior Division

Rowan Stavenow of Canada is the defending champion in the Junior Division. Rowan became eligible for the Senior Division in 2016, and earned an invitation to Day Two.

Senior Division

Jeffrey Cheng of the United States is the defending champion. Jeffrey became eligible for the Masters Division in 2016, and earned an invitation to Day Two.

Masters Division

Jacob Van Wagner of the United States is the defending champion.

Video Game Championships

The first day of the tournament will feature a preliminary tournament for all World Championship qualifiers who did not earn an automatic invitation to day two. Players with two or fewer losses during swiss rounds will join the automatic qualifiers on day two. Unlike in previous tournaments, players' match records will not be carried over from Friday in any case, and players are not forced to use the same team as on Friday. Players with no more than two losses (and no ties) will compete in single-elimination rounds on late Saturday. The top eight players in each division will be seeded into single-elimination tournaments, with the finals being played on Sunday, to determine each division's World Champion.

This year, participants will use Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. All matches will be conducted via Double Battles and any Pokémon in the National Pokédex are able to be entered, provided they possess a 'Blue Pentagon' in the Pokémon’s summary screen, with the exception of Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Celebi, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Jirachi, Deoxys, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Phione, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shaymin, Arceus, Victini, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Keldeo, Meloetta, Genesect, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Diancie and Hoopa.

Similar to Flat Battle mode, Pokémon of Levels 51 and above will be temporarily reduced to Level 50, while Pokémon Level 50 and below will retain their levels. Held items may be used, but no two Pokémon from the same team may hold the same held item. Players are not allowed to change their held items after they had registered, and could only use items from within the game and those received at an official Pokémon event or promotion. Players will be allowed to change teams after Friday's preliminary tournament, should they advance to Saturday.

Junior Division

Kotone Yasue of Japan was the defending champion. The 18 players who finished with two or fewer losses in Saturday's tournament were invited to the single-elimination rounds.

Round of 16					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Championship match
1	Rikuto Noda
17	Zachary Lazaroff				1	Rikuto Noda
9	Yasuharu Shimizu				8	Chang Joon Seo
8	Chang Joon Seo									1	Rikuto Noda
5	Saki Sasume									12	Cory Connor
12	Cory Connor				12	Cory Connor
13	Alessio Di Francesco				4	Corey Yuen
4	Corey Yuen
3	Kaisei Ichikawa
14	Erik Minniti				3	Kaisei Ichikawa
11	Shu Harasaki				11	Shu Harasaki
6	Harrison Reineke									11	Shu Harasaki
7	Kendahl Burk									2	Enzo Reci
10	Parker Hurley				10	Parker Hurley
18	Lee Hun Hee				2	Enzo Reci
2	Enzo Reci

Senior Division

Koki Honda of Japan is the defending champion. The 16 players who finished with two or fewer losses in Saturday's tournament were invited to the single-elimination rounds.

Round of 16					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Championship match
1	Carlos Daniel Ventura Chira	PE
16	Carson Confer				16	Carson Confer
9	Nils Dunlop				9	Nils Dunlop
8	Mark Garas
5	Daravone Souphommanychanh
12	Kylie Chua				5	Daravone Souphommanychanh
13	Daniele Sarachino				4	Mostafa Afr
4	Mostafa Afr
3	Hong Ju Young
14	Milton Lloyd Jones				3	Hong Ju Young
11	Yuki Wata				11	Yuki Wata
6	Baik Joon Gyu
7	Kazuki Ogushi
10	Kento Kitayama				7	Kazuki Ogushi
15	Brendan Zheng				15	Brendan Zheng
2	Carson St. Denis

Masters Division

Shoma Honami of Japan was the defending champion. The 24 players who finished with two or fewer losses in Saturday's tournament were invited to the single-elimination rounds.

Round of 16					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Championship match
1	Aaron Traylor
17	Dane Zieman
24	Till Böhmer
8	Edward Kh Cheung
5	Wolfe Glick
21	Mattias Suchodolski
20	Sam Pandelis
4	Justin Carris
3	Giovanni Costa
19	Jonathan Evans
22	Christian Cheynubrata
6	Barry Anderson
7	Michael Lanzano
23	Baris Akcos
18	Eduardo Cunha
2	Sebastian Escalante

Pokkén Tournament Championships

Unlike the surprise Pokkén Tournament invitational competition at last year's event, invitations for the first Pokkén Tournament World Championships were won at various tournaments held throughout the year or through accumulating enough Championship Points. The Pokkén Tournament Championship Series has only two age divisions, Seniors and Masters, as opposed to the three used by the TCG and video game tournaments. A strict limit of players per division was placed upon the Championships, only allowing 64 Masters Division players and 16 Seniors Division players. Of those players, only 43 from the Masters and 8 from the Seniors received invitations; the North American and European regions had 18 Masters and 4 Seniors invitations each, while Japan had 7 Masters invitations (an eighth was given but the player did not attend Worlds). All remaining slots were given to those who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifiers.

Invitations were given to the winners, and in select cases runners-up, of various tournaments throughout the year. Several were sanctioned independent tournaments, including: DreamHack events held in Austin, Texas and Jönköping, Sweden; St. Louis Showdown held in Collinsville, Illinois; CEO 2016 held in Orlando, Florida; and EVO 2016 held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Invitational tournaments were also held at the US Spring Regionals and the National Championships of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Top 16 sets of the Seniors Division were best two out of three games, while Top 8 sets and above were best three out of five. All games were played on Ferrum Stadium.

Seniors Division

Woomy!Gun from the United Kingdom beat Bolimar from the United States to become the first Pokkén Tournament Seniors Division World Champion.

External links

• Official site

This article is part of both Project TCG and Project Games, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Video Game Championship Tournaments.