The biggest weekend in the Pokémon calendar is here with the World Championships 2025 taking place in Anaheim, which of course means a closing ceremony that could bring plenty of news. Here are all the details.
Pokémon is set for a big year in the next 12 months with the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A edging ever closer and 2026 marking the franchise’s 30th anniversary, which is expected to include the long-awaited release of Generation 10. Could we see some news and hints in Anaheim?
Whatever Pokémon has up its sleeves to showcase at the closing ceremony, you don’t want to miss it, so here’s everything you need to know.
When is the Pokémon World Championships 2025 Closing Ceremony?
The Pokémon World Championships 2025 Closing Ceremony takes place on Sunday, August 17. As the name implies, it brings the event in Anaheim to a close.
Action in Anaheim for the Pokémon World Championships 2025 begins on Friday, marking the start of three days of action from the TCG, VGC, and everything else in between.
The closing ceremony in previous events has featured news about upcoming titles and releases, so it should not be missed by fans.
What Time is the Pokémon World Championships 2025 Closing Ceremony?
The Pokémon World Championships Closing Ceremony begins at 7:00 pm PDT, meaning a late night for anyone on the east coast of the United States or elsewhere in the world.
It is expected to begin bang on schedule, though it could be delayed if any of the finals earlier in the day run longer than planned.
Here’s an easier way to see the start times for the closing ceremony in your timezone.
| Time Zone | Start Time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 19:00 |
| Central Time (CT) | 21:00 |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 22:00 |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 03:00 (Aug. 18) |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) | 12:00 (Aug. 18) |
How to Watch The Pokémon World Championships 2025 Closing Ceremony
The Closing Ceremony at the Pokémon World Championships 2025 will be broadcast live online through multiple platforms, including directly on the Pokémon website, on Twitch, and on YouTube.
In our experience, Twitch is the best place to watch as the streams are slightly ahead of other platforms, so tune in here if you don’t want to see any spoilers. All the big announcements will also be shared on social media.
What to Expect From The Pokémon World Championships 2025 Closing Ceremony
Previous announcements at the Pokémon World Championships Closing Ceremony have included details for upcoming releases across games and the physical TCG, as well as news on future World Championship events.
The Closing Ceremony almost always announces the location of the following World Championships, though there will be no such reveal for 2026 as we already know the World Championships are heading to San Francisco next year. That announcement was made in Honolulu last year.
We could see more reveals for the Pokémon TCG, with last year revealing the return of Trainer’s Pokémon to the game, but all eyes will be cast towards Pokémon Legends: Z-A news. After the reveal of Mega Dragonite in the recent Pokémon Presents showcase, could we get another reveal?
The Closing Ceremony could also bring news of upcoming updates to existing live-service titles like Pokémon TCG Pocket, Pokémon Cafe Remix, and Pokémon EX Masters. Crucially, we could see more details of Pokémon Champions, which is set to be the formula used for future VGC events.
Pokémon does like to keep surprises up its sleeve, however, so it’s difficult to predict exactly what will be shown off.
What do you want to see announced at the Pokémon World Championships Closing Ceremony? Let us know in the Insider Gaming forum.
Done reading? Now check out all the details for Gamescom Opening Night Live, and take a look at everything announced for Gamescom 2025.
