The Pokémon Company has announced the location of next year’s world championship during the closing ceremony of the 2019 event in Washington DC.
The event next year will be held in London, and will bring with it the first Pokémon Sword and Shield World Championship event for the VGTC players after The Pokémon Company announced the game will be the official competitive title for the new year.
Pokémon Sword and Shield Trading Cards, which are set to launch next year alongside the mysterious V mechanic, will also likely make their Worlds debut at the same event, revitalising the competitive landscape for 2020.
The announcement makes sense, according to Dot ESports’ Adam Newell, considering Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Galar region is based on the United Kingdom. Additionally, The Pokémon Company has been holding increased activations with Pokémon in London in recent weeks. A Pokémon pop-up will also open in the city in the coming months for a limited time only, to celebrate the launch of Pokémon Sword and Shield.