Singapore has been officially confirmed as the host city for the 2027 Pokémon World Championships — a landmark moment for the local competitive community that brings the world’s biggest Pokémon tournament to Southeast Asia for the first time. The announcement came during the closing ceremony of the 2026 championships at Chase Center in San Francisco on 30 August, delivered by The Pokémon Company International President Tsunekazu Ishihara. The same event also unveiled Pokémon Wild Card, the franchise’s first theatrical anime film in six years.
Singapore Hosts Pokémon Worlds 2027
The 2027 Pokémon World Championships will run 15–17 August 2027 in Singapore — making the city-state the first Southeast Asian nation to host the event. No venue has been announced yet, but given the scale of past championships (the 2026 edition filled Chase Center, a 18,000-seat arena in San Francisco), expect a major convention or indoor stadium footprint here.
For Singapore players, the stakes could not be higher. Local competitors who earn enough Championship Points through the Asia Championship Series will now have the chance to compete at Worlds on home ground in front of friends, family, and the local community. The Asia region typically earns invitation slots through events like the Asia Pacific International Championships and the season-long League Challenge and Cup circuit — so if you’ve been on the fence about entering your local play, this is the year.
Specific venue, ticket, and spectator details are yet to be confirmed by The Pokémon Company. Watch the official Pokémon website for updates as they arrive.
Pokémon Wild Card — The First Pokémon Movie in Six Years
Also announced at the closing ceremony: Pokémon Wild Card, a full-length theatrical anime film arriving in 2027. It marks the return of the Pokémon movie franchise after a six-year gap — the last entry, Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, released in Japanese cinemas in 2020 before a global Netflix premiere in 2021.
The teaser, revealed on Pokémon’s official X account during the ceremony, centres on a Pokémon Trading Card Game player wearing a yellow hoodie and accompanied by Mimikyu, the Ghost/Fairy-type Pokémon that hides beneath a makeshift Pikachu disguise. The protagonist is striving to become a TCG champion — grounding the story firmly in the competitive card game world rather than the main series RPG journey.
According to Variety, the film is directed by Katsuhiko Kitada, whose credits include The First Slam Dunk, Attack on Titan, and Naruto: Shippuden. Character design is handled by Akemi Hayashi (Banana Fish, Lazaris), and animation is being produced by CloverWorks — the studio behind Spy x Family and Bocchi the Rock. A full theatrical release date has not been given beyond the 2027 window.
Whether Wild Card will screen in Singapore cinemas or arrive on a streaming platform locally is yet to be confirmed. Secrets of the Jungle bypassed local theatrical release and landed on Netflix — but the involvement of a director known for theatrical work like The First Slam Dunk suggests this one is aiming for the big screen.
Other Highlights from the Worlds 2026 Closing Ceremony
Beyond the Singapore Worlds reveal and the Wild Card announcement, the ceremony packed in updates across the franchise:
- Pokémon Unite: Morpeko joins the roster on 4 September, followed by Toxtricity on 24 September and both Jolteon and Flareon in October.
- Pokémon GO: Mega Evolved Pokémon can now compete in GO Battle League with enhanced Charged Attacks. Armored Mewtwo also returns for the Mega Finale event on 5–6 September — the first time many GO players will have a crack at it in years.
- Pokémon TCG: New Mega Evolution ex cards were revealed, including Mega Lucario ex, alongside a brand-new Special Mega Attack Rare card rarity.
The Pokémon TCG Pocket dual-type cards and Mega Mewtwo X and the Pokémon Tales: Sirfetch’d & Pichu Disney+ series were both announced at Worlds and covered separately earlier this week.