The 2026 Pokémon World Championships, held in San Francisco, concluded with a series of significant announcements across the franchise. The event, which also marked Pokémon's 30th anniversary and the debut of the PokémonXP fan event, outlined upcoming projects in animation, gaming, and merchandise.
New Animated Film and Stop-Motion Series
A new feature-length animated film, titled Pokémon: Wild Card, is slated for release in 2027. Produced by Story inc. and CloverWorks, the movie will focus on an aspiring Pokémon Trading Card Game player and feature the Disguise Pokémon, Mimikyu. Fans also received their first look at the stop-motion series Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu, a collaboration with Aardman Animations, scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in 2027. A behind-the-scenes panel featuring Aardman's Tom Parkinson, Nat McKay, and James Young, alongside Pokémon's director of original animation Phil Rynda, offered a glimpse into the series' production.
Game Updates and Additions
Pokémon Champions will introduce Z Mega Evolutions on September 9th, adding Mega Lucario Z, Mega Garchomp Z, and Mega Absol Z to its roster. The game will also feature Baxcalibur and Rillaboom, with further details on Heatran expected soon. For Pokémon Go, celebrating its 10th anniversary, upcoming changes will allow eligible Mega-Evolved Pokémon to gain a third Charged Attack and be usable at all levels in the Go Battle League starting next season. Armoured Mewtwo is also set to return to the game. In the realm of competitive play, Pokémon Unite is expanding its roster with the addition of Morpeko, Toxtricity, Jolteon, and Flareon.
Trading Card Game Expansions
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is set to receive a wave of new Mega attack rare cards, including Mega Rayquaza ex, Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Greninja ex, and Mega Zygarde ex. A new "ex★ Series" will also debut, featuring Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. Additionally, Pokémon TCG Pocket will begin introducing dual-type Pokémon in October.
Future Events and Special Appearances
Looking ahead, the next Pokémon World Championships will be hosted in Singapore. The closing ceremony itself featured a surprise performance by Ed Sheeran, who opened the event with his song "Celestial" and an acoustic rendition of the original Pokémon anime theme tune. The year 2027 will also see the release of five new Lego Pokémon creatures, though specific details were not provided.
During the championships, the winners were also crowned, with Vikram Thiagarajan from the UK securing the top spot in the Video Game Senior Division.