The Pokémon San Jose Regional Championships brings Play! Pokémon's official competitive circuit to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center for two days of tournament-level TCG, VGC, and Pokémon GO action on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, 2026. Regional Championships are the second-highest tier of official Pokémon competition below only the World Championships, and a San Jose stop means hundreds of the West Coast's strongest TCG players, VGC video game competitors, and Pokémon GO trainers descend on Silicon Valley for Championship Points, cash prize pools, and Travel Awards toward Worlds qualification.
The main event is Play! Pokémon official competitive play. The TCG division features a best-of-three Swiss rounds format in Masters, Seniors, and Juniors age categories, with top cut single elimination playoffs determining Regional champions. The VGC division runs the current-format Pokémon Scarlet & Violet double battle competition with the same age divisions and top cut structure. Pokémon GO TCG and Pokémon GO video game side events round out the official program. Beyond the official tournaments, expect a sprawling Pokémon side event room running Limited League Challenges, Trainer Gauntlets, Side Event Win-a-Boxes, drafts, and late-night Sealed events well past tournament hours. The vendor hall is where the magic happens for collectors: dozens of Pokémon-focused dealers stock raw singles from every era including 1999 Wizards of the Coast base set, Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Neo series, e-Card, EX series, Diamond and Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold SoulSilver, Black and White, XY, Sun and Moon, Sword and Shield, and current Scarlet and Violet expansions, sealed booster boxes, elite trainer boxes, premium collection tins, Japanese exclusives, and graded slabs from PSA, BGS, and CGC featuring classic Charizards through modern alternate art hits.
The Pokémon San Jose Regional Championships run Saturday, July 11 from 8:00 AM player check-in through late-night side events, and Sunday, July 12 from morning Day 2 play through the top cut finals and closing ceremonies. Tournament registration requires a Play! Pokémon account and advance event registration through events.pokemon.com — walk-up entries are rarely available and typically capped. Spectator access is free and open to the public during event hours; spectators can browse the vendor hall, watch feature matches on the main stage, and attend public side events without registering for the main tournament.
The San Jose McEnery Convention Center is at 150 W San Carlos Street in downtown San Jose, accessible from US-101, I-280, and I-880, with VTA light rail and Caltrain service and extensive downtown hotel inventory including the San Jose Marriott, Hilton, and Signia.
This event is essential for competitive TCG and VGC players chasing Championship Points and Worlds invitations, Pokémon collectors hunting vintage and modern graded slabs, parents supporting Junior and Senior division competitors, and casual Pokémon fans who want to experience the atmosphere of a major official event.
For the best experience, register early through events.pokemon.com, arrive Saturday at 7:00 AM for check-in, bring a registered decklist in the required format, pack sleeves, dice, damage counters, and your Player ID, carry cash for the vendor hall, and follow @playpokemon on X for bracket updates.