Later this year, the Pokemon competitive scene will hit San Francisco for Pokemon Worlds 2026 and, for the first time, a fan-focused event called Pokemon XP. As part of the conclusion of this year's North American International Champions, The Pokemon Company offered new details on Worlds and XP as well as confirmed the location of next year's NAIC.
North American International Champions heading to the Windy City
After a 3-year partnership with the city of New Orleans, the NAIC is headed to Chicago in 2027. The annual North American leg of the tournament – which also includes trips to Europe for the EUIC and Latin America for the LAIC – will take over the McCormick Place Convention Center, located near the shores of Lake Michigan and just south of the Chicago Bears' home, Soldier Field. Coincidentally, the Pokemon GO Fest was held not too far north of McCormick Place, in Grant Park.
It's also worth mentioning that between these two locations is the Field Museum, which currently hosts the Pokemon Fossil Exhibit. Unfortunately, the Pokemon Fossil Museum is only scheduled to run until April 5, 2027, so unless the contract is extended or The Pokemon Company has a secret announcement planned, the Fossil Museum will not be active during the NAIC.
Still, I highly recommend visiting the Fossil Museum if you're in the area, both to see the amazing exhibit and to pick up some rare Excavator Pikachus from the nearby raids and special research. And if you're still in the NAIC area, it's a great stop as part of the trip. Check out Sue, the massive T-Rex fossil.
Chicago is a great choice for the NAIC, which has been targeting family-friendly cities for its event for some time now. Speaking with Director of Global Esports and Events Producer, Chris Brown, it sounds like the NAIC is looking to Chicago to offer the event's next big step in terms of event footprint and fan experiences. While most people attend the NAIC to compete, The Pokemon Company wants to make sure those who attend also have plenty of things to see and do (and eat).
In addition to the Chicago NAIC reveal, TPCi also offered new details on this year's Pokemon Worlds and Pokemon XP events in San Francisco in August. For those who may not be familiar, Pokemon Worlds is literally doubling down this year, splitting the competition experience into Worlds as we know it and taking over the Chase Center. While Pokemon XP will be a fan-focused event that will feature vendors and experiences to entertain non-competing attendees.
For those vendors, TPCi confirmed its partners for Pokemon Worlds and XP, including the debut of LEGO at the annual event. No doubt there will be opportunities to see the current LEGO Pokemon sets up close and personal, as well as the Smart Play sets that will have been released earlier in August.
Other vendors at Pokemon XP and Worlds include mainstays like Bandai Hobby, Build-A-Bear and Santa Cruz. I'm most curious to see what Sideshow Collectibles has at the show, as their highly detailed figures, replicas, and accessories are always incredible to see in person.
Competing Pokemon Worlds attendees will also receive a real welcome package, which was just revealed at the NAIC closing. With what I'll refer to as the crowned Pikachu, the backpack, playmat, card case and more will be available to all competitors at Worlds – a standard for major Pokemon tournaments for a while now.
But the real gem is the winner's package, which has a nice white with gold trim. It's an added bonus on top of the coveted trophy and prize money.
And finally, TPCi revealed some of the promotional cards that will be available in the lead-up to Worlds at local tournaments, as well as the winning card for Worlds. As expected, Pikachu is the star here, and the design pays homage to Worlds and XP's San Francisco home for 2026.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg for Pokemon Worlds and XP. While we have a clearer picture of what the competitive scene will look like at Worlds, there's still a lot more to reveal about Pokemon XP in terms of the overall event schedule, exclusives, Pokemon GO tie-ins, and more. TPCi is heading to Pokemon's 30th anniversary, and the Worlds/XP combination promises to be a major destination on the road for the rest of this year, so look for even more information on what this year's event will offer soon.
