VGC gets official offseason in 2023 Pokémon Championship Series

The Pokémon Company revealed initial details Wednesday about the upcoming 2023 Pokémon Championship Series. Notably, the announcement confirmed the video game championship will have an official offseason until the beginning of next year.

Since late 2019, competitors have played VGC tournaments on Pokémon Sword and Shield versions. However, with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launching in November, The Pokémon Company has opted to put VGC events on hold. Following the completion of the World Championships this weekend, there will be no official VGC tournaments until January of 2023, when Scarlet and Violet will become the new homes of the VGC.

Set your alarms now! Tomorrow kicks off four days of global competition as Trainers go head to head in the 2022 Pokémon World Championships.

Here's your #PokemonWorlds live stream schedule. Tune in tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/RNUtvhx0GF

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) August 17, 2022

As a result, multiple Pokémon regionals scheduled for later this year will not feature VGC events. This includes Latin America’s only Regional Championships in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in September. In addition, the region’s biggest tournament, the Latin America International Championships in November, similarly will not feature the VGC.

More about the 2023 Pokémon Championship Series

Pokkén Tournament DX will be retired following the 2022 World Championships this weekend. While every other game will return for the 2023 Pokémon Championship Series, Pokémon UNITE will go back to a series of online qualifiers. As a result, in-person Pokémon tournaments will only feature the trading card game and Pokémon GO for the remainder of the year.

The Pokémon Company also confirmed local tournaments that would provide Championship Points for the TCG — such as League Challenges and League Cups — will remain suspended. Meanwhile, all Pokémon GO players will compete in the same age division during the 2023 Pokémon Championship Series, unlike the TCG and VGC.

With the current schedule, there will be four North American regionals without the VGC and eight with it. Likewise, there will be four European regionals without the VGC and four with it. In addition, the VGC will be present at the International Championships for Oceania, Europe and North America.