Doping & Cheating
PokéChamp Upset: Top Players DQ’d for Cheats!
The premier Pokémon tournament of 2023 is currently underway, and numerous participants are facing disqualification due to using unauthorized teams. This is the first Pokémon World Championship following the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The rigorous checks this year seem to be surprising some seasoned players.
Competitors have three primary methods to assemble a team of six Pokémon for such high-level contests:
- Extensively play, breed, and meticulously train the Pokémon.
- Trade with another player who has done the above.
- Utilize a software called PKHeX to modify save data and acquire the desired team.
While the first two approaches are accepted, the third is against the official rules. However, many players resort to it for convenience. This year, the tournament organizers in Yokohama, Japan, where the championship is held, are strictly enforcing these rules.
Brady Smith, a competitor, shared on Twitter that he was disqualified despite having a 2-0 record because half of his team was altered. He mentioned sourcing some Pokémon from a trader due to not having certain game versions. However, checks revealed these Pokémon were not legitimate.
Smith expressed surprise at the sudden strictness during the World Championship, wishing for consistency throughout the season. He also mentioned that many players, despite having altered Pokémon, went unnoticed.
Roberto Parente and Francesco Pio Pero, both previous high-ranking competitors, were also disqualified. The exact methods the organizers are using to detect unauthorized Pokémon remain unclear.
The issue of using modified Pokémon is divisive within the competitive community. Some, like Pokémon YouTuber Verlisify, believe it compromises the game’s integrity. Others, like Smith, see it as a long-standing practice and argue for its acceptance.
Parente expressed frustration on Twitter, suggesting that many players have always used tools like PKHeX and questioning the sudden strict enforcement in Japan.
Interestingly, Federico Camporesi, a former runner-up, was allowed to continue in the tournament despite having one unauthorized Pokémon removed from his team.
ELN will analyze the T&C of the tournament and update this article accordingly.
The Pokémon Company has yet to comment on the situation.
Via Kotaku
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