New Orleans Hosts 2026 Pokemon North America International Championships - Champions Crowned Across VGC, TCG, GO and UNITE
The neon‑lit streets of New Orleans buzzed with excitement as the 2026 Pokémon North America International Championships (NAIC) wrapped up from June 12 to 14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The three‑day finale marked the end of the season’s competitive circuit and the eighth NAIC in history, drawing top players from across the continent to battle in the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC), Trading Card Game (TCG), GO, and UNITE.
In the VGC Masters Division, New Zealand’s Damon Zhu emerged victorious, followed closely by U.S. natives Asher Garrett and Cameron Connor. The eight‑player final lineup—Zhu, Garrett, Connor, Charlie Buddensick (US), Magnus Kjær Andreasen (DK), Alessandro Ceccobelli (IT), Sebastian Aguinaga (US), and Zoe Fitzgerald (US)—each earned a direct berth to the 2026 Pokémon World Championships.
The TCG Masters saw American Luke Giffen take the top spot, with compatriots David Boehmler and James Kowalski completing the podium. The full top‑eight roster was Giffen, Annabelle Oono (US), Theodor Miklas (AT), Asher Tseng (US), Travis Chen (US), Lorenzo Demarchi (BR), Reed Hartmann (US), and Marco Evans (US).
Pokémon GO’s Master League spotlighted U.S. competitor Ryan Shoushi, who claimed first place ahead of Canada’s Sameep Grover and Brazil’s Gabriel Fonseca. The seven‑person leaderboard read Shoushi, Grover, Fonseca, Leo Marín Torres (ES), Kevin Li (CA), Jonathan Lo (US), and Ved Bamb (IN).
UNITE’s Final Stretch showcased the Dignitas squad, led by player zugrug, as they topped the field. Other high‑ranking teams included ttv・otter (Alan De Mier), T3・Zelot (Xavier Hoffer), Toon (Conor McDermott), indie (inder gill), Kidtanz (Tanzil Karim), Evil Geniuses (kyriaos), duckylocottv (Peder Larson), and several other North American, European, and Asian outfits.
The NAIC is one of three official Play! Pokémon International events, alongside the Latin America and Europe Internationals. Winners receive invitations to the annual Pokémon World Championships, slated for San Francisco, California, in August 2026. That tournament will also debut PokémonXP, a new competitive format announced by the Pokémon Company.
The 2026 NAIC highlighted the depth of North American competitive play across multiple Pokémon titles. Champions from the United States, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy, and other nations secured spots at the World Championships, underscoring the global reach of the Pokémon esports ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the August 2026 World Championships in San Francisco will bring together the NAIC finalists and other invited players to contest for the title of World Champion in VGC, TCG, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE. Pokémon.com will post schedules and qualification details as the event approaches.
