Pokémon’s North American International Championships are moving house. While for the last three years the competition has taken place in New Orleans, on Sunday at the NAIC closing ceremonies it was announced that, come 2027, the event will be held in Chicago, Illinois, at the McCormick Place convention center.
The reason for the change in venue? Well, TPCi Director, Global Esports and Events Producer has told IGN that a major factor is how much it’s grown. Given that the event’s attendance has swelled each year, moving to Chicago – a more accessible city that’s easier to get to for an international audience – makes a lot of sense, not to mention the McCormick Place center calls itself the largest convention space on the continent.
The event’s growth is an indication that the Pokémon franchise and hobby is continuing to grow – and not just because of scalpers looking to make a quick buck. YouTube viewer turnout is a good way to gauge interest. The Day 1 TCG livestream for last year’s NAIC has 121k viewers, while last weekend’s has already racked up 142k. The video game seems to have seen even more impressive growth, with viewership rising from 183k to 279k between years.
The NAIC is where the best trainers in the VG and TCG turn up to test their mettle, with the hopes of winning their way to Worlds. This year, that final showdown is also taking place in the US, coming to San Francisco in late August.
As well as the venue change The Pokémon Company also used the NAIC closing ceremonies to announce new Worlds promo cards, one a Paradise Resort and the other featuring the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza.
Source: Wargamer
