Play! Pokémon is bringing big changes to the competitive Pokémon VGC circuit for 2024, making pro players very happy. The 2023 Pokémon World Championship is coming up, featuring top Scarlet and Violet VGC players. They are currently getting their teams ready for the event in Yokohama, Japan, starting on Aug. 11. But today, they got a great surprise. The 2024 season will have some interesting changes.
Welcoming Changes
The Pokémon circuit will now have a new tier system for Worlds invites and will stop giving day two invites. From next season, regional winners and international finalists will get straight invites to Worlds. Also, players will now need more Championship Points to qualify for Worlds.
Players React
Pro players are thrilled about the end of day two Worlds invites. This elimination stressed many competitors, as only a few top players from each region would get these invites, giving them a big upper hand since they’d skip the first day’s potential elimination. Top players like Gavin Michaels and Paul Chua, who got their day two invites this year, are really excited about these changes.
Challenges of the Season
This news comes after a tough VGC season. Players went to many regional and international tournaments trying to get day one and day two invites to Worlds. Still, some outstanding players, including Justin Tang who won two regionals, did not get invites. Justin mentioned that chasing day two was unrealistic for him due to missing many events. But now, the end of day two invites has lifted a weight off players’ shoulders.
Looking Forward
While most players worldwide celebrate this victory, the situation is different in Asia. Play! Pokémon’s new changes don’t match the structure of their circuits next year. Asian players have faced disqualifications, bans, and other issues. They’ve been asking The Pokémon Company (TPC) and TPC Korea for changes throughout the season. Players in Asia are still waiting to see if they’ll see positive changes in their circuit as well.
Overall, these changes are making players hopeful for the 2024 season. It’s exciting to see how these updates will shape the future of competitive Pokémon play.