This week in general Pokémon news we have an update on the competitive future of Pokémon UNITE after it was announced it would no longer feature at Pokémon Worlds, Pikachu’s trip to space, a variety of new plushies, and more!
Pokémon UNITE Competitive Update
Following its removal from the official Pokémon World Championships circuit, Pokémon UNITE has announced a new competitive event, the Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown event. This event will take place in Tokyo from March 20th through 21st 2027 with 32 teams invited to play to win the Aeos Crown.
Online Regional Qualifiers for the official international tournament Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 will kick off sequentially worldwide starting in early December 2026, as teams compete for a spot in the Finals held in Tokyo next March.
This tournament features an open format, welcoming all teams that meet the eligibility criteria for their respective regional qualifiers. Additionally, the All-Star Draft format, under which any Pokémon selected once cannot be picked again within the same match, will be implemented on the final day of each regional qualifier and throughout the Finals.
A total of 32 teams, comprising 31 regional qualifier winners alongside the Pokémon UNITE World Championships 2026 (WCS2026) champion, will be invited to the Finals, taking place in Tokyo across two days on Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21, 2027.
The winning team of the Finals will be awarded a physical crown, the Aeos Crown, symbolizing their status as ultimate champions.
Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Overview
- Tournament Title: Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027
- Schedule: Online Regional Qualifiers: Kicking off sequentially starting Saturday, December 5, 2026 Offline Finals: Saturday, March 20 – Sunday, March 21, 2027
- Finals Location: Tokyo, Japan (Travel awards will be provided to all qualifying teams)
- Total Prize Pool: $1,000,000 USD (Includes cash prizes and supplementary awards)
- Tournament Format & Rules for Online Regional Qualifiers: “All-Star Draft” applied exclusively on the final day of each qualifier.
- Tournament Format & Rules for Offline Finals: “All-Star Draft” applied across all matches
- Broadcast Details: Matches from the final day of each qualifier and the Offline Finals will be broadcast live on official channels.
Further details regarding participating regions, schedules, and official tournament rules will be announced sequentially via the official website and official social media channels.
Sean Wotherspoon Collaboration Plushies
Pokémon has collaborated with Sean Wotherspoon, a designer and artist known for their love of all things vintage. Unique Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Charizard plushies in patchwork materials are available on the Pokémon Center, looking different to how you have ever seen them look before!
New Ditto Plushies
Speaking of plushies, a host of new ‘Ditto’ Pokémon plushies have also been added to the Pokémon Center! This range is seriously adorable, and the new additions are great choices, including Sobble, Hisuian Zorua, Ogerpon, Spiritomb and more.
Pikachu’s Trip to Space
Astronaut Pikachu is appearing soon in Pokémon GO, but it also had a real space adventure! A Pikachu toy stayed aboard the International Space Station from April 11 to June 17, 2026, spending 67 days in orbit and circling Earth approximately 1,040 times. Its crewmates included seven astronauts, among them ESA’s Sophie Adenot, who travelled to the station on SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission.
The visit was part of ESA’s collaboration with The Pokémon Company International to celebrate World Space Week, October 4–10, 2026. Space.com has more on Pikachu’s spaceflight.
This plushies will also be available soon via the Pokémon Center, along with various clothing items, TCG accessories and more!
Fragment x Pokémon Collab
Fujiwara and Fragment Design are serving as artistic directors of ComplexCon 2026 with Playboi Carti, and they have announced a series of new collabs at ComplexCon 2026 this weekend, with Pokémon being one of them. They shared:
“Few properties carry the global reach of Pokémon, which makes a collaboration with Hiroshi Fujiwara’s Fragment one of the more intriguing pairings of the weekend. Expect Fujiwara’s minimalist approach applied to one of the most recognizable universes in the world, a pairing of instantly familiar characters and stripped-back design.”
Fragment has previously collaborated with Pokémon, making unusual plushies that really stood out in any collection, with black colours and striking lightning bolt patterns. We are intrigued as to what this collaboration will lead to this time! Last time they collaborated it also led to a very rare Pikachu costume in Pokémon GO in 2018, with avatar items, so we could potentially see either a return of this Pikachu, or a new one!
Pikachu
