The Pokémon Company announced at the conclusion of the 2026 North America International Championships in New Orleans that next year’s competition will be held in Chicago.
The location for the 2027 Pokémon North American International Championships (NAIC) has been announced: Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center will host the event. This marks a change from the past three years, where NAIC was held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
It might just be a coincidence, but with Pokémon Winds and Waves coming out next year, moving to Chicago – nicknamed ‘The Windy City’ – feels like a natural fit, don’t you think?
Why is NAIC moving to Chicago?
The Pokémon Company is presenting the move of its North American International Championships as the start of an exciting new phase for competitive players. However, a key reason for the change is simply having more space. The new location, McCormick Place, is North America’s biggest convention center, allowing Pokémon to welcome more attendees, host bigger side events, and offer even more fan experiences – all of which have become increasingly important parts of these competitions.
Chicago is becoming a major hub for Pokémon events. The city already hosts the popular annual Pokémon GO Fest and features the Fossil Museum, so adding the International Championships feels like a natural fit. Fans were clearly thrilled with the announcement and are looking forward to competing in Chicago in 2027.
The expanded size allows for an even larger event than New Orleans could accommodate – and the New Orleans event is already quite substantial.
What else was announced at NAIC?
So, at the Chicago event, they didn’t just wrap things up – they also gave us a sneak peek at the 2026 Pokemon World Championships! It’s gonna be in San Francisco this August, and I’m already getting hyped!
Attendees can now see which companies will be at PokemonXP, the festival happening alongside the official Pokemon World Championships. The event will focus on lifestyle products and collectible items, with confirmed exhibitors including LEGO, Santa Cruz, Crocs, Funko, Stern Pinball, Build-A-Bear, Jazwares, Bandai Spirits, and Sideshow – and more are being added! This year, a single ticket grants access to both PokemonXP and the World Championships, combining the competitive events with fan activities.
Collectors were shown what’s coming at the World Championships! The Pokémon Company revealed the contents of the 2026 Welcome Kit, a special ‘Champion’s’ set of items, and previewed exclusive cards like the 2026 Paradise Resort card, as well as promotional cards from both Worlds and PokémonXP. For fans who can’t attend the event in San Francisco, some of these cards will be available at local stores, continuing the tradition of connecting players from all levels to the World Championships. More information about how to get these cards will be released soon.
The 2026 North American International Championships marked the beginning of the final stretch of the competitive season. Champions were determined in all four games—Pokémon, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE—before the season concluded in San Francisco.
The Pokémon World Championships will take place in San Francisco from August 28th to 30th, 2026. After that, the North America International Championships will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place in 2027; specific dates are still to come.
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2026-06-15 01:11