Video games news, releases, esports and culture — all the biggest gaming stories in one place.
Here’s every announcement from Pokémon World Championships
The 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco doubled as a celebration of the franchise's 30th anniversary and the debut PokémonXP fan event, with the closing ceremony used to unveil a wave of upcoming media and game content. Highlights included the first new feature-length animated film in years, "Pokémon: Wild Card" (2027), and a first look at Aardman's stop-motion series "Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu", set for Disney+ in 2027. The announcements matter as a signal of Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's continued expansion of the franchise across film, television, games and merchandise well beyond its core video games.
On the games side, Z Mega Evolutions arrive in Pokémon Champions on 9th September, while the Trading Card Game and TCG Pocket are getting new Mega and dual-type cards respectively. Pokémon Go marked its own 10th anniversary with battle changes for Mega-Evolved Pokémon and the return of Armoured Mewtwo, and Pokémon Unite is adding four new characters. Britain's Vikram Thiagarajan won gold in the Video Game Senior Division, Ed Sheeran made a surprise musical appearance, and the next World Championships will be held in Singapore.
In short
- New animated film "Pokémon: Wild Card" confirmed for 2027 release.
- Aardman's stop-motion series debuts on Disney+ in 2027.
- Z Mega Evolutions, new TCG cards and Pokémon Go updates announced.
Explained simply
The Pokémon World Championships are an annual international competition where players compete in Pokémon video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and other Pokémon games. The event is organised by The Pokémon Company, which manages the franchise alongside Nintendo and game developer Game Freak.
Pokémon has grown from video games into a broad franchise that includes trading cards, animated shows, films and mobile games. Its 30th anniversary in 2026 and the new PokémonXP fan event gave the championships a wider role as a gathering for fans, as well as a competition.
The announcements span several parts of the franchise, including films, television and games. They show how Pokémon continues to develop content for different audiences and platforms beyond its original video games.