The eagerly awaited 2026 Pokémon World Championships are simply across the nook, and with this yr that includes each the thirtieth anniversary of the beloved franchise in addition to the tenth anniversary of Pokémon GO, you’ll be able to guess the battles and glory are going to be extra scorching than ever!
Set to be held on the famend Moscone Heart and Chase Heart in San Francisco, California, from August 28 to 30, Pokémon GO gamers are ready with bated breath for the occasion’s happenings as they mud themselves off from an unbelievable GO Fest and the primary half of 2026.
So what must you anticipate at this yr’s extravaganza? Which Pokémon are coming within the hottest, and which trainers have the perfect odds to clinch the trophy?
Martijn “Inadequance” Versteeg, is a 2024 Pokémon GO Worlds finalist, a Pokémon GO content material creator on Twitch and YouTube, and a commentator at Play! Pokémon occasions, and he provides an skilled preview of what to anticipate this yr.
High Pokémon within the Worlds Meta
Ninetales
The GO Battle League: Forever Forward move changes gave a healthful buff to Power Ball, turning it into an 80 DMG transfer for less than 45 power. This turned Ninetelas extra formidable than ever, serving to it annihilate the notorious Water and Metal core in PvP. It’s no shock that Ninetales loved a formidable 32% utilization within the Turin Particular Championships, though it didn’t find yourself on the successful staff.
Seaking
What Turin champ P4T0M4N relatively included in his staff was Seaking, flexing Drill Run’s lowered power and its entry to Ice, Floor, and protection strikes. This fish might really be a ‘king’ at Worlds as effectively.
Kingdra
Sadly for Seaking, there’s one other undersea king that holds a declare to the throne, and this menace is a dragon! Certainly, the damaging Kingdra has the ever-reliable Surf to threaten Fairy sorts like Florges and Tinkaton, and, as all the time, could be very pleased with not being weak to Ice and in addition resisting Metal!
Mantine
However even Kingdra fears a fellow Water kind, the lovely Mantine. With entry to the buffed and low cost Tornado, together with good protection by means of Water Pulse, and boasting excessive bulk, this Pokémon is a purple alert at Worlds.
Clodsire
Getting off the ocean and coming to land, we meet Clodsire, a Pokémon recognized for shrugging off Seaking’s super-effective onslaught whereas additionally punishing the likes of Altaria, Lickilicky, and Ninetales. That is one foe you by no means take evenly!
Shadow Corviknight
Hovering within the skies is the scary Shadow Corviknight, whose Shadow bonus makes Sand Assault lethal towards Tinkaton (lol) and Empoleon, whereas Air Cutter and Payback assist cope with the remaining.
Thievul
Lastly, Thievul sneaks into the meta, gaining the wonderful Icy Wing from its Group Day. This recent new menace carries the torch for Darkish sorts this season. Gamers will keep in mind that Galarian Moltres was instrumental in final yr’s Finals victory. Will one other Darkish kind like Thievul shine on the trophy this yr too? Solely time will inform.
Altaria
Good ol’ Altaria is a incredible reply to Ninetales, and with Flamethrower, it additionally helps take out annoying Metal sorts like Forretress and Tinkaton.
Empoleon
A Dragon all the time appreciates help from a Metal Pokémon, and Altaria will get that from Empoleon, which packs a whopping 10 kind resistances and the exceptional Hydro Cannon.
Lickilicky
You’ll be able to’t go improper with Lickilicky, who now wields Shadow Ball to take out Ghost sorts like Galarian Corsola. Let’s face it, Regular sorts are virtually all the time a secure guess within the GBL.
Honorable mentions
Trainers who could be 2026 World Champion: Former Champs
Let’s begin by those that have been there, performed that. That’s proper, the previous World Champions!
Beelzeboy (2025 Pokémon GO World Champion)
The reigning World Champion, Beelzeboy is from India and famously used Galarian Moltres as part of his successful staff in 2025. Since then, he has competed in Regional and Worldwide Championships, coming near the trophy however falling brief. Nonetheless, he graced the High 8 at each EUIC and NAIC, and he clinched a fourth-place end on the hotly contested Regional Championships of the season in Los Angeles. Will the grandest stage of them, the identical place the place it began final yr, be full circle for him with a second consecutive win?
Yekai0904 (2024 Pokémon GO World Champion)
Yekai0904 is remembered for utilizing Lickitung to wall Giratina in his Finals bout and grabbing victory. With Lickilicky turning into a power to be reckoned with this time, will the previous champ additionally evolve right into a two-time winner?
ItsAXN (2023 Pokémon GO World Champion)
Arguably with probably the most bragging rights among the many former world champions, ItsAXN is among the two gamers to have received two Worldwide Championships. At all times recreation for extra, the bold participant has acknowledged fairly bluntly that he’s in search of this second world championship.
Now, now… despite the fact that the previous world champs convey their reign of terror to the battles, historical past has been proven to not favor them, as no participant has ever been capable of defend their World Championship. With that being mentioned, let’s try the brand new contenders from every area who’ve an outstanding likelihood of getting the job performed in 2026.
Trainers who could be 2026 World Champion: New Contenders
Asia and Oceania
- MasterMihir295 (India): Gained the India Playoffs twice, completed within the High 8 ultimately season’s World Championships.
- Happyboy017Fes1 (Japan): 2026 Pokémon Japan Championships Pokémon GO Champion.
- DabideGgst (Japan): Competed at two World Championships, received the 2026 Melbourne Regional Championship
- g0nE1001 (Australia): Gained three medals throughout 5 tournaments.
- avrip (Australia): We’re together with an honourable point out to our very personal avrip who’s competing at Worlds for the fifth time
Europe
- P4T0M4N: High three at 5 consecutive worldwide occasions—2025 EUIC, 2025 NAIC, 2025 Pokémon World Championships, 2026 LAIC, six consecutive trophy finishes, gold on the Turin Particular Championships.
- Crissslb7: Three medals throughout seven tournaments.
- Stonecollection: The one European Coach to have received a Championship in North America.
- Colin6ix: A 3-time Regional Champion who received his first trophy this season with a second-place end at 2026 EUIC, solely behind P4T0M4N.
- Nesabethan: Gained first and fourth place in his final three tournaments.
North America
- NiteTimeClasher: Gained 5 medals throughout his final 9 tournaments and received 2026 LAIC, turning into the primary and solely Coach to win an Worldwide Championship exterior their house area.
- Reis2Occasion: Solely Coach to win a Regional Championship in each aggressive season.
- Sjamesp21: Certified this season in simply two tournaments.
- Jello2Good: Competed in 4 tournaments in complete.
- Caspianpike: Gold at his third event in Indianapolis, the place he took down a few of the best, like OutOfPoket, Sjamesp21, and NiteTimeClasher…all in a row.
Latin America
- LNDsRargef: Gained the Regional Championships in Curitiba, completed fourth in Orlando.
- TzSteinar: Gold medal in North America, added one other in Campinas, and adopted that with fourth and third place finishes at EUIC and NAIC.
- MemiGRR: Positioned third 4 instances in 14 tournaments, positioned second and first in his final three competitions.
- LNDsAureo: Gold this season in Buenos Aires.
- Ashtonash: 31-tournament veteran, received 4 medals and two trophies.
Truthfully, no previous Worlds has appeared this cutthroat and thrilling. With an insane meta, earlier champions, and new challengers vying it out on the final showdown, that is an expertise you’ll be able to’t miss!
Preserve your eyes glued to all of the motion on August 28–29, 2026, at Twitch.tv/PokemonGO, all the way in which to the decider for the title of World Champion on Championship Sunday: August 30, 2026, at Twitch.tv/Pokemon.
