2023 Pokémon VGC Championship Series Season Preview

With the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet comes a new era of competitive play! In the past few weeks, Trainers have been working hard to identify the best Pokémon and strategies to use in upcoming events. The VGC 2023 season officially kicked off with the San Diego Regional Championships on January 7 and 8, so competitors have had to practice both diligently and quickly.

If you caught the action on Twitch.tv/Pokemon or if you’re wondering what Pokémon have been the first to step into the spotlight, look no further. We’ll take a glance at the overall state of competitive play in the early weeks of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, focusing on some key areas: Terastallization, common strategies, popular Pokémon, and the impact of open team lists on live events. You’ll be able to see the Pokémon discussed below in action yourself on Twitch.tv/Pokemon over the course of the season.

Tournaments currently use the Series 1 rule set, which allows all Pokémon in the Paldea Pokédex except for Paradox and Legendary Pokémon. Check out the full preview of what’s to come here.