Update News
World Champions Crowned at the 2012 Pokemon World Championships
Players Representing More Than 30 Countries Battled for the Titles of Pokémon Trading Card Game and Video Game World Champions
Bellevue, WA - August 13th, in the year of our Lord 2012
- The 2011-2012 Play! Pokémon season came to a thrilling
conclusion this weekend at the 2012 Pokémon World Championships
in Waikoloa, Hawaii. Six battle-tested champions walked away as
the world's best Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game
players, rising above hundreds of other Pokémon players that
came to the Big Island from more than 30 countries, including
the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
Italy, and Spain. Representing their nations proudly in
paradise, each player's journey began nearly a year ago,
battling in events over the course of the Play! Pokémon season
sanctioned by The Pokémon Company International. The hard work
and dedication to their craft lead all players to Pokémon's
premiere competitive event.
The 2012 Pokémon TCG and Video Game World Champions are:
2012 Pokémon TCG Junior Division World Champion, Shuto Itagaki
from Japan.
2012 Pokémon Video Game Junior Division World Champion, Abram
Burrows from the United States of America.
2012 Pokémon TCG Senior Division World Champion, Chase Moloney
from Canada.
2012 Pokémon Video Game Senior Division World Champion, Toler
Webb from the United States of America.
2012 Pokémon TCG Masters Division World Champion, Igor Costa
from Portugal.
2012 Pokémon Video Game Masters Division World Champion, Ray
Rizzo from the United States of America.
Winners of the invitation-only tournament earned the title of
Pokémon World Champion, received a special Pikachu World
Championships trophy, and earned collectively more than $100,000
in scholarships. Additionally, The Pokémon Company International
will choose a select number of Pokémon World Championships video
game finalists and their Pokémon teams to be distributed as a
Pokémon Trainer avatar in the upcoming Pokémon Black Version 2
and Pokémon White Version 2 video games via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi
Connection service. Players of the games, and who have wireless
Internet access, will be able to battle these Pokémon World
Championships finalists and their teams in the Pokémon World
Tournament, a new battle arena featured in the games. Pokémon
Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 launch globally the
week of October 7th. The Pokémon Company International will
announce details of the distribution later this year.
"The Pokémon World Championships not only showcase some of the
best Pokémon TCG and video game players from around the world,
they also celebrate an international community that is unified
by the fun, friendship, and mutual respect that the Pokémon
spirit embodies," said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer
Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. "We are
incredibly proud of all the players who competed this weekend
and want to extend a big congratulations to the 2012 Pokémon
World Champions who represented their nations proudly. "
To view highlights from the 2012 Pokémon World Championships,
including official standings, photos, videos, and player
interviews, please visit
www.pokemonworldchampionships.com. For more information on
how to participate in future Play! Pokémon events, please visit
www.pokemon.com/play.
2012 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Finalists-Junior Division
(born in 2001 or later)
World Champion: Shuto Itagaki (Japan)
Second Place: Ian Robb (USA)
2012 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Finalists-Senior Division
(born in 1997-2000)
World Champion: Chase Moloney (Canada)
Second Place: Colter Decker (USA)
2012 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Finalists-Masters Division
(born in 1996 or earlier)
World Champion: Igor Costa (Portugal)
Second Place: Harrison Leven (USA)
2012 Pokémon Video Game World Finalists-Junior Division (born in
2001 or later)
World Champion: Abram Burrows (USA)
Second Place: Brian Hough (USA)
2012 Pokémon Video Game World Finalists-Senior Division (born in
1997-2000)
World Champion: Toler Webb (USA)
Second Place: Jaime Martinez Alonso (Spain)
2012 Pokémon Video Game World Finalists-Masters Division (born
in 1996 or earlier)
World Champion: Ray Rizzo (USA)
Second Place: Wolfe Glick (USA)
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon
Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is
responsible for brand management, licensing, and marketing, the
Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home
entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was
launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular
children's entertainment properties in the world. For more
information, visit
www.pokemon.com.