Highlights
- The 2024 Pokemon World Championships tournament will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, following the conclusion of the 2023 event in Yokohama, Japan.
- The championship features players from around the world competing in various Pokemon games, including the mainline games, Pokemon TCG, and Pokemon GO.
- The Pokemon Company will be donating $200,000 to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund to support those affected by the devastating wildfires, and fans are encouraged to donate as well.
After the conclusion of the 2023 iteration, The Pokemon Company reveals that its annual Pokemon e-sports event, the 2024 Pokemon World Championships tournament, will be taking place in Honolulu, Hawaii. Every August, these competitions feature the best players in the scene from around the globe to claim the title of being the very best. These players can battle it out in a variety of Pokemon games, ever since 2022's Pokemon World Championships event expanded the lineup of games. These include the mainline games, the Pokemon TCG, and even Pokemon GO.
The 2023 event took place in Yokohama, Japan, the birthplace of the event itself. The event was previously hosted primarily in Canada and the United States, until 2022 brought the championship to London, and 2023 was the first time that the event came to Asia. Alongside high competitive play of the franchise's various games, there were also reveals shown during the closing ceremonies. This includes the official reveal of three Pokemon coming to Pokemon Unite, an update regarding the DLC of PokemonScarlet and Violet, and even the location of the 2024 Championship event, which will be held in Hawaii.
This location was shown off in a brief video that was played at the event, which was also uploaded to the official Pokemon social media accounts, where it starts with imagery of foliage associated with Hawaii. From there, it pans to show a Pikachu mascot wearing a Hawaiian shirt, alongside a representative announcing that The Pokemon Company will be hosting the World Championships in Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii. This is a rather fitting location, as Hawaii was the primary inspiration for Alola, the region seen in the Pokemon Sun and Moon games.
The Pokemon franchise's social media account acknowledges that there is currently a devastating wildfire that is taking place in the state, with the fires affecting the Maui area. As such, it announced that the company would be donating $200,000 to its partner at GlobalGiving through the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund. It also asks fans to donate as well and support the people of Hawaii by providing a link to learn more.
Many Pokemon fans also gave out their support to those currently being affected by the wildfires, especially those native to the region. While some raised concerns about the impact that tourism would have, which has historically affected the residents and their quality of living, there were some fans who hailed from Hawaii who also expressed their excitement about the Pokemon World Championships happening in their home state.