India finally has the opportunity to participate in the global Pokémon video game championship circuit! The Pokémon Company has announced the inaugural official Pokémon tournament series in India. Dubbed the “Pokémon Championship Series: India Series,” this event offers top trainers in India a platform to compete against Pokémon Champions.
As part of the “Pokémon Championship Series 2027 Season,” players must first complete six in-game Global Challenges to qualify for the online qualifiers. Winners of the online qualifiers will advance to the offline Grand Finals. Ultimately, the champion of the India Series Grand Finals will represent India at the annual Pokémon World Championships.
Players can participate in the six Global Challenges via the game itself; however, players based in India must compete in the India region to advance to the next stage. Below are the details regarding the six in-game challenges:
Six in-game Global Challenges will be held between September 2026 and April 2027.
For each Global Challenge, competitors may participate in one of three age divisions.
The top 30 eligible Indian players from each age division in every Global Challenge will advance to the next stage.
A total of 540 players will advance to the online qualifiers across the six Global Challenges.
The first Global Challenge is scheduled for September 25–28, 2026. Registration opened on September 18, 2026, and can be completed via the Pokémon Championship Series app or within the game. Indian players who previously selected a different region must change their region setting to India to participate.
The online qualifiers will take place in May 2027, with specific dates to be announced later. Top performers from the online qualifiers will advance to the offline Grand Finals, scheduled for June 2027. These players will compete for an invitation to the Pokémon World Championships in Singapore. The number of invitations available will be announced at a later date. Players who qualify for the offline finals and the World Championships will be eligible for travel subsidies during the events.
For years, Indian players have faced significant barriers to entry in the VGC scene, as competitions were primarily limited to consoles—platforms that Nintendo did not officially release in India—resulting in very few opportunities. However, with the Pokémon Championship Series now supporting cross-platform play across mobile and console, Indian players finally have the chance to showcase their skills in top-tier competitions.