PokémonXP Lottery Woes: 130K Fans, Only 50K Spots—What's Next?

Ever felt the sting of missing out on a limited event? If you're one of the 80,000+ fans who didn't get a ticket to PokémonXP, you're not alone. The inaugural Pokémon fan convention, held alongside the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, drew a massive crowd—but demand far exceeded supply.

Here's the deal: Over 130,000 eager fans registered for a chance to grab a 3-day or single-day badge to PokémonXP. But with only about 50,000 spots available (including competitors and their families), more than half were left empty-handed. Chris Brown, Director of Global Esports and Events at The Pokémon Company International, acknowledged the disappointment in a recent interview, saying, "The public is unaware of the level of demand."

So, why a lottery? Brown explains that when demand outstrips supply by such a huge margin, a lottery is the fairest way to handle it. "Basically, anytime your demand well outstrips your supply, the sort of interest list into lottery is the only real way you can handle that," he said. A first-come, first-served system would crash under the pressure, turning the experience into a frustrating free-for-all.

But that doesn't mean everything is perfect. Exclusive activities like artist meet-and-greets and workshops were also lottery-based, with only about 2,000 lucky attendees getting a chance to participate. That's a tiny fraction of the 50,000+ who signed up. Brown notes this is roughly the same percentage as previous years, but it still stings for those who missed out.

Looking ahead, Brown says the team is already brainstorming ways to improve. "The only thing I can do from an event operator's perspective is think about, how do we increase supply over time?" he said. While there's no perfect system for handling such overwhelming demand, they're committed to making future events better.

For context, last year's Pokémon World Championships saw 30,000 attendees—double the previous year—and this year's event has clearly blown up even more. With the Pokémon community growing this fast, it's no wonder lines were long and access was limited.

So, what do you think? Is a lottery the fairest way to handle such demand, or would you prefer a different approach? Will you be trying your luck again next year?