Pokemon World Championships 2021 axed due to coronavirus

Event has been bumped until next year.

The Pokemon Company has cancelled the Pokemon World Championships this year because of the coronavirus.

In a post on its website, the firm wrote that the upcoming event for the Pokemon Trading Card Game, video game, and its Pokken Tournament DX World Championships would be moved until 2022. This is due to - what else? - the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

The Pokemon Company says it has spoken to the World Health Organization, Public Health England, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to help make the decision.

The Pokemon World Championships 2021 was set to take place in August of this year. Other Play! Pokemon events - such as League Challenge, League Cup, Premier Challenge, and Midseason Showdown - are also still suspended indefinitely due to health concerns.

"We are closely monitoring health mandates, guidelines, and recommendations from appropriate government agencies to determine when the resumption of events and operations will be safe for our communities," The Pokemon Company wrote.

"We continue to examine each country on a case-by-case basis, informed by the latest updates and mandates issued by appropriate government recommendations and in consultation with medical experts.

"Thank you to our millions of players, fans, organizers, and Professors around the world for their continued support and understanding. The Pokémon International Championships and Pokémon World Championships are meaningful occasions to us and the player community, and we look forward to when we can all see each other and compete again."