The 2021 Pokémon World Championships have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The event was scheduled to take place in London, making it the first Pokémon World Championships to take place outside of North America. This is the second year in a row that the Championships have been canceled due to the pandemic.
2021 is set to be a huge year for the Pokémon franchise, marking the twenty-five year anniversary of the series as well as the five-year anniversary of Pokémon GO's release. The month of February is particularly special because the end of the month sees the franchise's actual birthday, dubbed Pokémon Day, on February 27. Exciting events and announcements are expected on this monster-collecting holiday, and the rest of the year will contain additional Pokémon content such as the release of New Pokémon Snap. In honor of Pokémon GO's five-year anniversary, the mobile alternate-reality title has received a series of special events celebrating the franchise's various locations. An upcoming Kanto Tour Event, beginning February 20, will allow players to catch Pokémon from the series original roster of 150 creatures.
Unfortunately, The Pokemon Company has announced that this year's Pokémon World Championships has been cancelled. After consulting with various local and global health organizations, the company has decided to postpone the event until next year. This suspension also extends to all Play! Pokémon events such as League Cup and league Challenge. All invitations to the 2020 Pokémon World Championships event will continue to be honored for the 2022 event, which is still set to take place in London, England.
Despite being around for nearly 25 years, the Pokémon franchise shows no signs of losing popularity. The series' latest major game release, 2019's Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch, was the first installment to pass 20 million sales since 1999's Gold and Silver. The title received two expansions, both released last year, and continues to receive post-launch support such as community events.
The Pokémon franchise is unbelievably popular all around the world. From animated shows to competitive card games to role-playing video games, the series has the broad appeal to reach a massive and dedicated fanbase. While the cancellation of the Pokémon World Championships is disappointing, the COVID-19 pandemic makes it impossible to hold the event under safe conditions. While this is certainly a disappointing development, this landmark year for the franchise is sure to contain plenty of exciting new Pokémon content.
Source: Pokémon
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