The Pokemon Company has announced the cancellation of upcoming events within the 2020 Play! Pokemon Championship Series due to increasing restrictions brought on by COVID-19. This comes following previous Pokemon event cancellations, as the company plans ahead to ensure that they are complying with guidelines laid out by the World Health Organization and other healthcare authorities.
These cancellations also mean the suspension of the entire Championship Series for the time being, meaning that all other sanctioned Pokemon events are canceled until further notice. This announcement comes directly from The Pokemon Company’s official website and is being shared through both the company’s social media accounts, as well as the organization accounts for the Play! Pokemon Championship Series.
The two major events that were specified in the announcement included the 2020 North American International Championships, originally scheduled in Columbus, Ohio, as well as the 2020 Pokemon World Championships, set to take place in London.
In response to this cancellation, any invitations to either of these events will be honored in 2021, when The Pokemon Company hopes to hold the annual competition again, once the current crisis has been dealt with. Additionally, any Champion Points accrued by competitors will be rolled over to 2021 as well, with the intent for the competition to resume next year after more Pokemon related cancellations are no longer necessary.
With any luck, after the current situation with COVID-19 is resolved, then gaming events and competitions can start up again. However, The Pokemon Company is making the responsible decision to hold off events like the 2020 Pokemon Championship for the time being.
Source: Pokemon Official Website
