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The Pokémon World Championships are, naturally, the pinnacle of competitive Pokémon gaming in terms of the current-generation main games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and now Pokkén Tournament. Often a hugely popular event for the public to attend, too, this year venue limitations seem to have brought that traditional spectator buzz to an end.

The venue this year is the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, which evidently isn't quite sizeable enough to accommodate sizeable crowds of enthusiasts. The Pokémon Company has confirmed that only competitors and a small number of guests will be able to attend.

Due to limited venue capacity and overwhelming demand, the 2016 Pokémon World Championships will be closed to the general public in the interest of providing the best possible event experience to our qualified players and their families. While the event has been open to the public in years past, only invited players and their families will be permitted to enter the venue this year, and everyone must have an official event badge.

Each invited player will be given a Player badge. Each invited player under 18 years of age will be guaranteed one Guest badge at check-in, to allow one parent or guardian into the event venue. We will do our best to accommodate additional family members of invited players, but attendees should note that additional Guest badges are not guaranteed. Any additional Guest badges will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and supplies are limited. An email with these details is being sent to invited players.

That disappointment aside, this event is only one week away running from 19th-21st August; there'll be extensive live stream coverage over that weekend on the official website, and we'll likely share some of the action here on Nintendo Life.

[source pokemon.com, via serebii.net]