The Pokémon World Championships, also known as Worlds, recently kicked off in Hawaii. As expected, the event showcased the best trading card game (TCG) players battling for top honors. While the winners have been announced, it’s a controversial decision that has captured the spotlight. The incident involved competitors Ian Robb and Fernando Cifuentes in the Masters quarter-finals.
Details of the Incident
Ian Robb secured a victory against Fernando Cifuentes and was initially expected to advance to the next stage. However, confusion arose among fans when they saw Cifuentes, not Robb, in the challenger’s seat for the subsequent match. The Pokémon Company’s global esports and events director, Chris Brown, intervened and issued an unsporting conduct penalty to Robb. The penalty was attributed to a hand gesture Robb made after his win, which was deemed inappropriate and led to his match loss.
Ian Robb 選手の非紳士行為何かと思ったけど、準々決勝の最後に取った自慰行為のジェスチャーがダメだったっぽい。
#ポケモンWCS2024Day2 #WCS2024 pic.twitter.com/izx5vyabjq
— ゆうD (@ikuo_x) August 18, 2024
Reactions from the Community
This decision has sparked mixed reactions from the Pokémon community. Some fans took to Twitter to express their views, with one stating,
