Schedule and Prizes for 2013 Pokémon US National Championships Revealed (Updated)
Hot on the heals of the winter regionals prizes comes info on what you can win at the biggest Pokémon event of the year in the United States: the National Championships! The schedule remains similar to last year, although only the Top 8 matches will be played on Sunday and it isn’t clear whether or not we will be cutting straight to a Top 8 or if our single elimination rounds to Top 8 will merely happen on Saturday. With fewer matches to be played on Sunday, maybe we’ll finally get to see the three finals matches consecutively rather than simultaneously?
Although the number of invites and paid trips to the 2013 World Championships remains unchanged, we’re pleased to see that semifinalists will receive a 3DS XL — or in the case of the champion, a 32GB WiiU package — to take home alongside their trophies.
Schedule
Friday, July 5th, 2013
- 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, 2013
- 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, 2013
- 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.
Prizes
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)
Eligibility
- 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
The division you play in is based on your year of birth:
- Junior Division: Born in 2002 or later
- Senior Division: Born in 1998, 1999, 2000, or 2001
- Masters Division: Born in 1997 or earlier
For more info, check out the official page on Play! Pokémon. Thanks Biosci for the heads up!
Update! Top Cut Expanded to Top 16 and Schedule Change
TPCI has re-updated the North American Nationals page on pokemon.com to expand Top Cut on Sunday to Top 16, up from Top 8 as previously reported. Top Cut rounds on Sunday will also begin an hour earlier than previously reported at 9:00 AM instead of the previously reported 10:00 AM. Don’t be late!
About the Author
Firestorm is one of the co-founders of Nugget Bridge and the Community Manager for eSports Tournament Platform Battlefy. He has been playing Pokémon since 1999, competitively since 2007, and attending tournaments since 2010. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with a degree in Interactive Art & Technology + Communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @rushanshekar.
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