Pokémon’s greatest card and fighting game players are going to compete for some big money this summer.
The Pokémon Company announced today that its franchises’ 2017 World Championships is heading to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California from August 18 through August 20. The event will feature competitions for the Pokémon Trading Card Game (with a $ 500,000 prize pool) and Pokkén Tournament, the Wii U fighting game (with a $ 20,000 prize pool).
Pokémon is coming off an impressive 2017, with the release of Pokémon Go for mobile and Pokémon Sun and Moon for the 3DS, all of which were huge hits. 2017 looks to be a quieter year, with Pokémon Go no longer the cultural phenomenon it once was (although it saw a recent update that added more creatures) and no major game releases.
But competitions like this can keep Pokémon fans, especially with esports projecting to earn $ 696 million in revenues this year, according to a market report from intelligence firm Newzoo.
The 2017 North American International Championships will take place before the World Championships on June 30 to July 2 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Competing there and earning wins and points could help you earn a spot for the World Championships.
