There is no single list of Pokémon banned from every competitive tournament. Pokémon TCG, video game championships (VGC), and Pokémon GO use different rules, and legality can also depend on the event and date. To find out what is prohibited, check the rule set for the specific game and competition—not a universal roster.
Why there is no universal ban list
Play! Pokémon separates its resources by competition, including a Pokémon TCG Banned Card List and a Pokémon GO Championship Series Banned Pokémon List. VGC uses event-specific regulations. The word “banned” therefore means different things in each game: a prohibited card, a Pokémon excluded by a video game regulation, or a species listed as banned for a Pokémon GO event. Play! Pokémon Rules & Resources and the Championship Series overview direct players to the relevant competition resources.
Pokémon TCG: a card ban is not the same as format legality
In the TCG, the ban list applies to cards. Separately, a card may be unavailable in a tournament because it is not legal in that event’s format. Those are different reasons for a card not to be playable: check both the current banned-card list and the format rules for the event.
In its May 7, 2026 update, effective June 5, Pokémon said that no cards were banned from Standard or Expanded in that update and described Standard bans as extremely rare. This is a statement about that particular update, not a guarantee that the lists remain unchanged afterward. Consult the current TCG rule-change announcement and official resources before an event.
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Other card requirements can affect eligibility without being bans. The Pokémon TCG glossary and Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook cover requirements such as using genuine cards in the appropriate language for the region and ensuring cards are not marked or altered.
VGC: check the regulation for that event
VGC team legality is determined by the regulation and event, rather than a universal banned-Pokémon roster. A Pokémon may be ineligible under one regulation and eligible under another, so a list from a past competition should not be treated as current for every tournament.
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Pokémon’s March 24, 2026 announcement described a transition to Pokémon Champions and distinguished rules by platform and event. It said Regulation I applied while Scarlet and Violet was the platform, while Regulation M-A would apply to specified Pokémon Champions events. The announcement directs players to the in-game notice for detailed Regulation M-A information. Read the transition announcement alongside the rules published for your particular event; neither Regulation I nor M-A should be assumed to govern every VGC competition.
Pokémon GO: use the Championship Series banned list
Pokémon GO has its own Championship Series Banned Pokémon List, separate from TCG card bans and VGC regulations. The official Play! Pokémon resource index links to that list. Because the index alone does not establish which species are currently listed, check the live official list for the relevant event rather than relying on an unverified roster.
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How to check what is allowed before you compete
- Identify the competition. Determine whether the event is Pokémon TCG, VGC, or Pokémon GO.
- Find the event’s rule set. For TCG, verify both format legality and the banned-card list. For VGC, find the regulation named for the event and platform. For Pokémon GO, consult its Championship Series banned-Pokémon list.
- Check the date. Use the rules that apply on the competition date; official lists and regulations can change.
- Confirm regional requirements. For TCG events, check card-language and card-condition rules for the region, as well as whether each card is legal in the format.
The official Pokémon Championship Series page is a useful starting point for identifying the competition resources relevant to an event.
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