Pokémon GO Asia Championship Series 2026 registration is now open

The Pokémon GO Asia Championship Series 2026 is here, with the top teams from throughout Asia heading to the World Championships later this year. 

In celebration of GO's 10th anniversary, more teams will qualify than ever before, with  Pokémon expanding to 16 slots for India. 

How to compete in the Pokémon GO Asia Championship Series 2026

The Asia Championship Series is for, well, trainers from countries within Asia. These are the regions that can compete: 

• APAC (Hong Kong/Malaysia/Philippines/Singapore)
• India
• Indonesia
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand

If you are eligible, there are three steps "separating you from glory." The first step is to register. Find your region and sign up on Start.gg. Register to secure your place. 

The second step is the Qualifier. You'll battle through the Swiss Round "and prove you belong." Only the top 16 teams from each region will advance to the Playoffs. 

In this third step, you'll need to survive the Double Elimination bracket. The top players in each region will be selected based on their Playoff standings. These players will qualify for Day 1 of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco. 

Check out this page for full details, including how to register in each region. 

Is Pokémon GO an esport? 

Not really. Like Pokémon TCG Pocket, it's a bit more of a casual Pokémon experience. However, it does have a bit of an esports scene compared to Pocket, which will never have one. 

Pokémon GO has small tournaments at regionals and nationals around the world, culminating in the World Championship. This means these players will compete on the same weekend as those competing in the TCG, VGC, and UNITE.