Video Game Championship Series

The U.S. National Championships for the Pokémon Video Game Championship Series (VGCS) will be held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, from Saturday, July 6th through Sunday, July 7th with preregistration taking place on Friday, July 5th.

The VG tournament at the Indiana Convention Center will begin on Saturday, July 6th, at 9:00 a.m., with a variety of tournaments and league play going on during the weekend addition to the U.S. National Championships.

The Pokémon TCG event will begin on Friday, July 5th. More information on the Pokémon TCG National Championships can be found here.

The address of the Indiana Convention Center is:

100 South Capitol Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46225-1071

Events at the U.S. National Championships will take place on three consecutive days, with each day’s activities outlined below.

Friday, July 5th

• Onsite preregistration for VG players will take place 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. outside of Exhibit Hall C
• There will be side events occurring during the day—full schedule to be released at a later date

Saturday, July 6th

• Open registration
  • Masters division open registration will take place from 8:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
  • Junior and Senior division open registration will take place from 2:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
• Swiss rounds will be played until a Top 16 is determined
  • Masters Swiss rounds will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m.
  • Junior and Senior Swiss rounds will begin at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Unregistered Masters division players not in line for final registration by 8:30 a.m. may not be entered into the tournament.

Unregistered Junior and Senior division players not in line for final registration by 3:00 p.m. may not be entered into the tournament.

Sunday, July 7th

• There will be side events occurring during the day—full schedule to be released at a later date
• Single elimination rounds (Top 16, all divisions) will be played
  • ALL players must be checked in and ready to play by 9:00 a.m., or they will forfeit their first game. Players not in their seats by 9:10 a.m. will forfeit their second game, and thereby, the match.

How do I earn a Bye for the VG US National Championships?

The top 16 players based on Championship Points ranking per age division will receive a Round 1 Bye. Players who placed in 1st or 2nd at a Pokémon VG Regional Championships tournament will also receive a Round 1 Bye.

What are the prizes?

Prizes are awarded to the top 4 players in each age division.

The divisions are as follows:

Junior Division: Born in 2002 or later
Senior Division: Born in 1998, 1999, 2000, or 2001
Masters Division: Born in 1997 or earlier

1st Place

• A Pokémon VG National Championships First-Place Trophy
• 400 Championship Points
• A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2013 World Championships
• A Nintendo Wii U 32GB Deluxe Set
• Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

2nd Place

• A Pokémon VG National Championships Second-Place Trophy
• 300 Championship Points (if division attendance is 4 or greater)
• A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2013 World Championships
• A Nintendo 3DS XL
• Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

3rd & 4th Place

• A Pokémon VG National Championships Semi-Finalist Trophy
• 250 Championship Points (if division attendance is 8 or greater)
• A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2013 World Championships
• A Nintendo 3DS XL
• Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

5th through 8th Place

• 110 Championship Points (if division attendance is 32 or greater)

9th through 12th Place

• 80 Championship Points (if division attendance is 64 or greater)

13th through 16th Place

• 60 Championship Points (if division attendance is 64 or greater)

17th through 32nd Place

• 40 Championship Points (if division attendance is 128 or greater)

33rd through 64th Place

• 30 Championship Points (if division attendance is 256 or greater)

65th through 128th Place

• 10 Championship Points (if division attendance is 512 or greater)

Who is eligible to play at the U.S. National Championships?

• There are no eligibility requirements for players in good standing for the Pokémon video game
• Registration will be guaranteed to the first 270 Junior Division players, 270 Senior Division players, and 540 Masters Division players. While we will attempt to accommodate every player wishing to participate, we cannot guarantee seating beyond these limits
• The Pokémon VG U.S. National Championships is open to anyone regardless of their country of residency