NAIC now feeds Worlds points

Pokémon has opened registration for the 2026 North America International Championships, and the event is now the last stop for players still earning Championship Points toward this season’s World Championships invite. (pokemon.com 1) (pokemon.com 2) The tournament runs June 12 to June 14, 2026, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, and spectator registration opens in two waves on April 14 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time and April 15 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. (pokemon.com) Pokémon said the event will feature the Trading Card Game, Pokémon video game competition, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE, with Pokémon Champions serving as the tournament software for video game competition at North America Internationals. (pokemon.com) (championships.pokemon.com 1) (championships.pokemon.com 2) Championship Points are the season-long score Pokémon uses to award World Championships invitations in the Trading Card Game, video game, and Pokémon GO circuits. Bigger events pay more points, and each game has its own separate points pool. (championships.pokemon.com) North America Internationals sits at the end of the International Championships calendar, after São Paulo in November 2025 and London in February 2026. Pokémon’s event page calls New Orleans players’ “last chance” to add points before the 2026 World Championships in San Francisco in August. (championships.pokemon.com 1) (championships.pokemon.com 2) The stakes are not only points. Pokémon lists more than $500,000 in prizes for International Championships events, and the four finalists in each age division for the Trading Card Game, video game, and Pokémon GO earn direct invitations to Worlds regardless of their final points standing. (championships.pokemon.com) (championships.pokemon.com) The 2026 season also changed how points fit into the wider circuit. Pokémon UNITE no longer uses the Championship Points system, while Trading Card Game, video game, and Pokémon GO players still qualify for Worlds through points earned across the Championship Series season. (championships.pokemon.com) (championships.pokemon.com) For players on the bubble, that makes New Orleans more than another major weekend. It is the final points event on the international calendar before San Francisco decides the 2026 world titles. (championships.pokemon.com) (championships.pokemon.com)