The Pokémon Company has issued a fresh warning to Pokémon TCG players in Japan, telling the community to stop harassing staff, judges and event workers both at physical events and online.
The notice was posted on May 8 through the official Japanese Pokémon TCG Trainers Website. While the company did not reveal the exact incidents that triggered the statement, it said there have been cases involving abusive behaviour toward employees and event staff, including slander, threats, physical aggression and disruption of business operations.
In short: if you are angry about a ruling, queue issue, event result or account matter, don’t take it out on the people running the event. Basic stuff, but apparently it needs to be said.
The Pokémon Company listed several types of behaviour it wants players to avoid, including:
- Verbal or attitude-based aggression toward staff
- Insults, discriminatory remarks or comments that damage a staff member’s dignity
- Unreasonable demands that go beyond normal social expectations
- Misuse or sharing of staff members’ personal information
- Actions that physically harm staff or damage event facilities
- Behaviour that disrupts services or ruins the experience for other players
The company also made it clear that these are not empty words. Under its Customer Harassment Policy, players who break the rules may be removed from venues or have their accounts suspended.
For Malaysian and SEA Pokémon TCG fans, this is worth paying attention to even if the announcement is Japan-specific. The Pokémon card scene has grown massively across the region, from casual collectors hunting packs to competitive players grinding local tournaments. With more hype comes more pressure: expensive cards, limited stock, prize events, rule disputes, scalping and all the usual drama that happens when a hobby suddenly becomes big money.
We’ve already seen how trading card communities can get messy when demand explodes. Japan has had problems with scalping and poor tournament behaviour as Pokémon TCG popularity surged. At the 2026 Pokémon Yokohama Champions League held last September, The Pokémon Company reported cheating cases involving players using stand-ins and falsifying ages to enter brackets they were not eligible for. Suspensions followed.
The wider context is also grim. In March, an employee died after a knife attack at Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo. After that incident, Pokémon Center events across Japan were cancelled throughout April, while some tournaments continued without audiences. So when The Pokémon Company talks about protecting staff safety and mental wellbeing, this is not just PR language. The company is clearly on higher alert.
For players here, the takeaway is simple: don’t be that guy. Judges and organisers are the reason events can happen in the first place. You can appeal a ruling, complain about logistics or call out bad systems without threatening people or turning social media into a harassment campaign.
Pokémon TCG is at its best when the community feels welcoming — whether you’re a hardcore competitor, a parent bringing your kid to a weekend event, or just someone opening packs for fun. If the scene wants bigger events in Malaysia and SEA, the community also has to show it can behave like one.
Source: Automaton Media