Later this year, the Pokemon competitive scene will descend on San Francisco for Pokemon Worlds 2026 and, for the first time, a fan-focused event called Pokemon XP. As part of the conclusion of this year’s North American International Champions, The Pokemon Company offered new details about Worlds and XP as well as confirming the venue for next year’s NAIC.
North American International Champions Headed to the Windy City
After a 3-year partnership with the city of New Orleans, NAIC is headed to Chicago in 2027. The annual North American leg of the tournament – which also includes trips to Europe for EUIC and Latin America for LAIC – will take over the McCormick Place Convention Center, which is near the coast of Lake Michigan and a touch south of the Chicago Bears’ home, Soldier Field. Coincidentally, Pokemon GO Fest was held not too far north of McCormick Place, at Grant Park.
It’s also worth mentioning that between those two venues is the Field Museum, which is currently hosting the Pokemon Fossil Exhibit. Unfortunately, the Pokemon Fossil Museum is only slated to run until April 5, 2027, so unless the contract is extended or if The Pokemon Company has a secret announcement planned, the Fossil Museum will not be active during NAIC.
Still, I highly recommend visiting the Fossil Museum if you’re in the area, both to see the awesome exhibit and to pick up some rare Excavator Pikachus from the nearby raids and special research. And if you are still in the area for NAIC, it’s a great stop as part of the trip. Check out Sue, the massive T-Rex fossil.
Chicago is a great pick for NAIC, which has been targeting family-friendly cities for its event for a while now. In talking to Director of Global Esports and Events Producer, Chris Brown, it sounds as though NAIC is looking to Chicago to offer the event’s next big step in terms of an event footprint and fan experiences. While most attend NAIC to compete, The Pokemon Company wants to ensure that those who attend also have plenty of things to see and do (and eat).
In addition to the Chicago NAIC reveal, TPCi also offered new details about this year’s Pokemon Worlds and Pokemon XP events in San Francisco this August. For those who may not be familiar, Pokemon Worlds is quite literally doubling this year, separating the competitive experience into Worlds as we know it and taking over the Chase Center. While Pokemon XP will be a fan-focused event that will feature vendors and experiences to entertain attendees who aren’t competing.
For those vendors, TPCi confirmed its partners for Pokemon Worlds and XP, including the debut of LEGO at the annual event. No doubt, there will be opportunities to see the current LEGO Pokemon sets up close and personal, as well as the Smart Play sets that will have released earlier in August.
Other vendors at Pokemon XP and Worlds include mainstays like Bandai Hobby, Build-A-Bear, and Santa Cruz. I’m most curious to see what Sideshow Collectibles has at the show, as their highly-detailed figures, replicas, and accessories are always incredible to see in person.
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