Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center is about to be flooded with trainers, decks, and Poké Balls as the 2026 Pokémon Orlando Regional Championships roll into Halls WD and WE1 this weekend. Thousands of players and supporters are expected on the show floor to battle it out in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and Pokémon GO for regional titles, Championship Points, and scholarships or cash prizes. Spectators with badges can also dive into on-floor side events, browse vendor booths, and keep younger fans busy with family-friendly activities spread across the three-day schedule.
Spectator badges are $20, and the tournament runs April 3–5, with official competition rounds kicking off April 4, as detailed on the RK9 spectator page. The RK9 event listings spell out wristband pickup and competitor check-in for attendees and list the Orange County Convention Center at 9800 International Drive, in Halls WD and WE1, as the venue. The championships are part of The Pokémon Company International’s official circuit, with local organizing handled by Gaming Generations and registration run through RK9, per Victory Road.
What’s at stake
Organizers say the event will put more than $130,000 in scholarships, gift cards, and cash prizes on the line, according to West Orlando News. The official breakdown of TCG prizing for the Masters division shows $10,000 for first place, with payouts extending to the top 32 finishers over the weekend, as shown on the Gaming Generations event page.
How to watch and what to expect
If you cannot make it to International Drive, you can still follow the action from home. Matches on the main stage will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, with The Pokémon Company International’s broadcast team handling top-cut coverage for online viewers, per Victory Road. That page also lays out how Championship Points work and explains prize-to-scholarship rules, so fans can track exactly how Orlando results could shape qualification hopes for the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco.
Orlando’s growing event scene
Orlando’s convention muscle and expanding esports calendar have turned the city into a reliable stop for large-scale gaming events. Previous tournaments have packed halls and hotels and helped boost weekend tourism. Local reporting on the area’s esports growth points to Orlando’s production crews, venue capacity, and robust bandwidth as key selling points, which helps explain why organizers expected such a large turnout this weekend, according to Central Florida Public Media.
