About

What are the key dates?

The event will take place from August 2 to October 10, 2021.

Who will be competing?

55 teams representing countries and regions from all over the world will be represented on the 2021 World Cup of VGC. You can check all teams and their players here.

Where can I watch?

Every week of event, selected matches from different teams will be broadcasted on Victory Road’s Twitch channel. You may also find more matches and extra content on Victory Road’s YouTube channel.

What is the tournament structure & format?

1. Qualifier stage: all teams will be randomly drafted into groups of 3-4 teams, with the best two per group advancing onto the next stage. Each match will last for a week and teams will face off in 8 vs 8 sets of three games.
2. Group stage: top 32 teams will be drafted into groups of 4 teams based on their qualifier stage results, with the best two per group advancing onto play-offs. Each match will last for a week and teams will face off 8 vs 8 sets of three games.
3. Play-offs: top 16 teams will be drafted based on their group stage results to play a single-elimination bracket until only the winner is left. Each match will last for a week and teams will face off 7 vs 7 sets of three games.

All players will compete using Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield for the Nintendo Switch system. All matches will be played using the VGC 2021 - Series 10 ruleset, the current format in play for all competitions. For more information on the ruleset, please read here.

Who is hosting this event?

For the first time ever, Victory Road is hosting the World Cup of Pokémon VGC. We are currently the world’s leading competitive community for the game. For more information, please read here.

Who is sponsoring this event?

The event is sponsored by Elgato, a leading brand on the streaming and technology industry. They are kindly providing us with streaming material and funding to make the event accessible for everyone worldwide.