The Pokémon Company International acknowledged widespread disappointment among fans who missed out on PokémonXP passes or exclusive activities during the event’s debut in San Francisco. More than 130,000 people registered interest for the 3-day convention, more than double the 50,000 attendees allowed, forcing organizers to use a lottery system to allocate tickets.
Chris Brown, Director of Global Esports and Events Production, defended the lottery approach, calling it the only viable method when demand far exceeds supply. He noted that a first-come, first-served system would crash under the load, making the lottery no different from random chance. Brown also highlighted the challenge of scaling supply, especially for premium activities like artist meet-and-greets, which saw just over 2,000 participants out of tens of thousands who signed up.
Looking ahead, Brown said the company is exploring ways to improve fairness, including asking fans to prioritize activities during sign-up. The event’s success will be measured through attendee feedback, with organizers already planning to expand the number of competitive players at future World Championships and consider hosting the event outside the U.S.
