Pokémon Go Participant Disqualified for Allegedly Taking Off Headphones in ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Method

Pokémon Go followers are in uproar over the “embarrassing” resolution to disqualify the winner of this yr’s Orlando Regional Championship, following a celebration that was allegedly deemed unsportsmanlike.

Firestar73 celebrated his win by standing up and swiftly eradicating his headphones, to be able to increase his fists within the air and do a fist pump. He then crosses over to his opponent, nitetimeclasher, the place the 2 amicably shake fingers. You may watch the second for your self through the embedded video, beneath.

Within the hours that adopted Firestar’s win, nevertheless, it grew to become clear that it was nitetimeclasher who had as an alternative been awarded the victory — to the astonishment of followers watching on-line, who’ve since referred to as for the choice to be reversed. Many have shared the contact type for The Pokémon Firm’s web site, the place followers have been inspired to let their emotions be recognized.

So here is a reside look with a detailed up of the headphones making contact on the desk. This needed to be a call that got here from the upper ups as an try and be “constant” with their ruling primarily based on the incident that occurred a day prior (that video is right here… pic.twitter.com/S3tzpgtWtW

— Tru Inferno at Orlando Regionals! (@TruInfernoPoGo) April 6, 2026

“This can be a genuinely embarrassing ruling,” wrote IPissExcellentThrows on high Pokémon Go fan reddit TheSilphRoad. “Like so insanely dangerous I can not assist however bounce to the conclusion of corruption… This needs to be overturned. Really feel dangerous for the deserving winner but additionally sucks for the opposite man who’s probably going to get bizarre hate for one thing he did not do.”

“He had his win stripped for eradicating his headphone and doing a fist pump? I don’t even go right here however that’s insane,” added rainbowbrite517. “All adopted by a handshake and bow to his opponent. Craziness.”

The Pokémon Firm has not commented publicly on the choice, given their actual reasoning why the response counted for a disqualification, or acknowledged the rising adverse suggestions on-line to all of it happening. IGN has contacted the corporate for extra.

Nitetimeclasher, now the official Orlando Regional Champion, has not commented publicly on social media, and is believed to be sure to accepting the win per match guidelines. However unverified screenshots taken from Discord present that, in non-public, the participant has acknowledged that “Firestar is the Orlando regional champion,” to a constructive response from different followers.

As for Firestar himself, the now-disqualified participant has issued a quick message thanking followers for his or her help, and promised a full account of his facet of the story will comply with. “Good day everybody, I’m extremely grateful for the help directed my approach,” Firestar wrote on Twitter/X. “I’ve a direct account of my experiences releasing quickly in an interview, which I’ll hyperlink when it’s out. For the second, please use the help hyperlink for those who disagree with the ruling as effectively. Love yall <3."

Some followers have pointed to an earlier disqualification on the identical occasion, albeit inside a Pokémon TCG match, the place a profitable participant was additionally disqualified for eradicating their headphones in an abrupt method. However as others have acknowledged, this resolution probably additionally took under consideration the participant standing up earlier than the tip of their flip — when it grew to become they clear they’d win, relatively than after having accomplished the profitable transfer.

Nonetheless, a minimum of this time Pokémon gamers weren’t disqualified for allegedly flinging poo, as was reported at an official UK match again in 2012.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You may attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social