The Pokémon Company has issued a statement defending its decision to strip competitive player Firestar73 of a win at the Orlando Regional Championships. The ruling stemmed from what officials described as disruptive table-shaking during gameplay and celebration. Firestar73 and another player, Makani, have disputed the company's explanation of the penalties.
Earlier this month at the Orlando Regional Championships, Firestar73 was disqualified from a victory for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Pokémon Company stated that Firestar received a prior warning for hitting and shaking the table during gameplay, followed by a second incident during the player's celebration that disrupted the broadcast experience. This second infraction led to the match loss, according to the company's post on social channels after fan backlash demanded a reversal. Firestar73 denied receiving any prior explanation tying the penalty to gameplay disruption, stating on X that judges never cited it as the basis and referencing Section 2.1 of the rules requiring clear explanations of infractions. The player argued the incident did not affect gameplay but decided the tournament outcome. The statement also addressed a similar case involving Trading Card Game player Makani, who received a penalty for dropping headphones on the game board, deemed a disruption to the game state as defined in the official Pokémon handbook. Makani contested this, saying two head judges informed him the match loss was for throwing the headset down as 'dangerous' behavior, and he was denied an appeal. The Pokémon Company affirmed it would uphold the judges' calls and expects community members to treat judges with respect. It clarified that celebrations are permitted as long as they do not disrupt competitive integrity or negatively impact events.
