Pokémon Go Pro Disqualified for Excessive Celebration After Controversial Ruling Upheld

Play! Pokémon, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company, has upheld the disqualification of Firestar73, a professional Pokémon Go player, after he was deemed to have celebrated too excessively during the 2026 Pokémon Orlando Regional Championships.

Firestar73, who had technically won the tournament, remains disqualified following the ruling. The decision has left the Pokémon Go community in uproar, with many players and fans expressing dissatisfaction over the outcome.

Play! Pokémon’s Official Statement on the Ruling

In a statement addressing the disqualification, Play! Pokémon outlined the events leading to the decision:

During the Pokémon Go Grand Finals, we would like to share some information which may not be known to the broader community. Prior to the final game incident, during game one of the bracket reset series, a player was issued a Warning for the action of hitting and shaking the table during gameplay. Actions such as these can have a negative impact on the experience of participants and disturb the match in progress. Then, during game five, this same player’s behavior continued to be disruptive, including shaking the table to the point that there was a disruption to the broadcast experience. These repeated infractions resulted in a penalty that was escalated to Game Loss. We will uphold the decisions made by the Judges at this event.

Play! Pokémon emphasized the role of judges in maintaining competitive integrity:

Pokémon Judges are committed to bringing the best possible experience to our players by preserving the competitive integrity of our events. Without them and their commitment to Play! Pokémon, we would not be able to hold events, and it is our expectation that they are treated with the same respect as all people in the community.

Play! Pokémon Clarifies Stance on Celebrations

In the same statement, Play! Pokémon acknowledged the role of celebrations in competitive play:

In the moment of a win, emotions are high, and we recognize that these emotions can lead to energetic reactions celebrating a win. We want to support this authentic, positive reaction, and not discourage this excitement. Celebrations are not an issue, but actions that disrupt or can negatively impact competitive integrity can be.

However, the statement left some ambiguity about what constitutes a disruptive celebration versus an acceptable one, particularly in a game like Pokémon Go, which is inherently fast-paced and action-driven.

Community Reaction and Criticism

The ruling has drawn sharp criticism from the Pokémon Go community, with many questioning the consistency of the decision. Hungrybox, a professional Super Smash Bros. player and co-owner of Team Liquid, weighed in on the controversy via Twitter:

“Pokémon Go is literally an action-based game. Players [are] constantly tapping the screen nonstop for about five minutes per game. It’s natural to have some exasperation.”

Firestar73 himself disputed Play! Pokémon’s account of events, arguing that the alleged infractions had no impact on gameplay:

The ‘incident’ you are now, for the first time, claiming was the basis of the decision did not affect the gameplay at all, yet decided the whole tournament.

He also referenced Section 2.1 of the tournament rules, suggesting that the ruling may have violated established guidelines.