Pokémon XY Fan launch events detailed
Midnight launches, tournaments and more organised by retailers and fans
|
In just under two weeks, the Nintendo 3DS pair Pokémon X and Y will be released worldwide, marking the beginning of the franchise's sixth generation, as well as the first global launch of a Pokémon title, which is without a doubt a cause for celebration. Although no official launch events have been revealed as of time of writing, numerous fan groups worldwide have already stepped forward and are hosting their own events.
Recently, we at Bulbanews reached out for groups to contact us about their meet ups, as well as information on store branches holding midnight launch events and received a significant number of replies. This number is without a doubt definitely not a complete list, so if you find that there isn't an event listed for your region, it might be worth contacting your local stores or gaming societies to see if any are happening, or perhaps even start up your own, then let us know about them by emailing us at events[at]bulbagarden.net!
We were contacted about a large variety of different events - some midnight launches, some tournaments and even some completely original ideas. We have only included the details which we were told about, so if more information is needed or if you are unsure about the particulars, please do not hesitate to get in touch with those hosting it. For now, here is the current list of launch events:
North America
United States
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Lakewood | GameStop | Morning Launch Event, October 12th | ||
| Arizona | Glendale | GameStop, Peoria Crossing, 9284 W Northern Ave, Ste 102 | 9am, October 12th | Early opening | |
| California | Pleasanton | Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue | October 12th and 13th | Fall 2013 Pokémon TCG Regional Championship, XY side-events to be finalized | PokéGym |
| California | Irvine | GameStop, 3972 Barranca Pkwy | 9am to Midday, October 12th | Contests and Raffles | |
| Florida | Orlando | Anime Orlando, 9645 E Colonial Dr. Suite 111 | Midnight to 7:30pm, October 12th | Cosplay Contest, Video Game Tournament ($5 entry fee), etc | |
| Florida | Winder Garden | GameStop, Daniels Road | Midnight Launch | ||
| Georgia | Statesboro | Galactic Comics & Games, 25 Siebald St | 5:30pm to 9:30pm, October 11th | Hosted by Hosted by Team Knockout. Video Game Tournament ($8 entry fee), free Pizza and soft drinks | |
| Georgia | Statesboro | GameStop, 40 Statesboro Mall A9-A10 | Midnight Launch | ||
| Indiana | Indianapolis | GameStop, 73rd and Keystone Ave | Midnight Launch | ||
| Indiana | Indianapolis | GameStop, 10777 East Washington St. | 1pm, October 12th | Video Game Tournament | |
| Indiana | Portage | GameStop | Midnight Launch | ||
| Illinois | Chicago | 78 E. Washington Street | Midday to 4pm, October 13th | StreetPass meetup, Hosted by StreetPass Chicago | |
| Kansas | Wichita | BattleStations Gaming, 11330 E. Central Ave. Suite 800, Wichita, Kansas 67206 | 12:30am to 8:30am, Saturday October 12th | StreetPass meetup, Hosted by StreetPass Kansas | |
| Louisiana | Covington | 2NC Covington, 2nd and Charles, 401 North US Highway 190 | Midday to 9pm, October 12th | Pokémon Trivia, Video Game and TCG Tournaments, etc | |
| Florida | Maitland | CoolStuffGames, 8550 S. US Hwy 17-92 | Midday, October 12th | $2 entry (includes slice of Pizza and a drink). Raffles, Sanctioned Video Game Tournament | Store Website |
| Maryland | Hagerstown | GameStop, 17601 Garland Groh Blvd | Midnight Launch | Can also pick-up games purchased at the 17044–17080 Cole Rd (Valley Mall) store with Midnight ticket/receipt | |
| Michigan | University of Michigan Pokémon Club | 10am, October 12th
2pm to 4pm, October 13th |
Multiple events, see Facebook pages for details | Facebook (Saturday Launch Events)
Facebook (Sunday Safari Zone Event) University of Michigan Pokémon Club Facebook | |
| Minnesota | Columbia Heights | Highlander Games and Comics, 3952 Central Ave. NE | 10pm, October 11th | Free food, prizes and giveaways | |
| Minnesota | South Saint Paul | Level Up Games, 207 13th Ave S | 10pm October 11th to 9pm October 12th | Trivia, Tournaments, etc. Free if pre-ordered from Level Up Games, $10 otherwise. | |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | GameStop, 707 Stoneridge Blvd #102 | 10am, October 12th | Launch Day Event. Hosted by local StreetPass group | |
| New York | New York | Nintendo World Store | 8pm, October 11th to 1am, October 12th | Costume contest, live DJ, trivia, giveaways, etc | Pokémon.com |
| North Carolina | Wake Forest | GameStop, Wake Pointe, 11216 Capital Blvd, Ste 110 | Midnight Launch | ||
| Ohio | Columbus | GameStop North High Street at South Campus Gateway | 10pm to Midnight, October 11th/12th | Pokémon League, Trivia | |
| Ohio | Columbus | The Ohio Union - Great Hall Meeting Room 1, Ohio State University | 8:30pm to Midnight, October 11th/12th | LAN party, Super Smash Bros., Pokemon Stadium | |
| Oklahoma | Norman | GameStop, 12th and Main Street | Midnight Launch | ||
| Pennsylvania | Hermitage | GameStop, 1031 North Hermitage Rd. | 7pm October 11th to 1am October 12th | Video Game Tournament ($5 Entry) | |
| Pennsylvania | State College | Gamer's Arena, 421 E Calder Way | Midnight Launch | Hosted by the Penn State Pokémon Society | |
| Tennessee | Madison | The Next Level Games, 2064 Gallatin Rd N | ? | TCG Sealed Tournament | ? |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Toys R Us, 2210 S 1300 East St | 9pm to Midnight, October 11th | Hosted by Utah Pokémon Leagues | |
| Virginia | Blacksburg | GameStop, 1206 South Main Street | Midnight Launch | ||
| Virginia | New River Valley | Virginia Tech | Hosted by PokéTech: The Pokémon League | ||
| Virginia | Virginia Beach | GameStop, 4701 Shore Drive | Midnight Launch | ||
| Washington | Bellingham | GameStop, 1225 E Sunset Dr #100 | Midnight Launch | ||
| Washington | Federal Way | GameStop, 31840 Pacific Hwy S Ste B | Midnight Launch | ||
| West Virginia | Parkersburg | GameStop, 2838 Pike St, Ste 4 | 11am, October 12th | Costume Contest, Video Game Tournament | |
| Wisconsin | Madison | GameStop, State Street | 9pm, October 11th | Midnight Launch | |
| Wisconsin | Oconomowoc | Kowabunga Comics, 102 N. Main St. | 1am to 4pm, October 12th | After party for GameStop Watertown event (see below). Restricted to people aged 16+. | |
| Wisconsin | Watertown | GameStop, 1905 Market Way | 9pm to Midnight, October 11th | Midnight Launch | |
Canada
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONWIDE | See Nintendo Canada website for futher details on locations | 5pm to 8pm, October 11th | Hosted by Nintendo Canada. | Nintendo | |
| British Columbia | Vancouver | EXP Restaurant + Bar, 309 W. Pender St. | 5pm, October 13th | Cosplay, Giveaways | |
| Ontario | Toronto | WestJet Stage at the Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. | 3pm to 9pm, October 11th | Hosted by Nintendo Canada. | Nintendo |
Mexico
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veracruz | Colonia Ignacio Zaragoza | Jr Game, Boulevard Manuel Ávila Camacho 2431 Local 28 | Midnight Launch | ||
| Gameplanet | Midnight Launch | Shiny Palkia, Dialga and Giratina | |||
Europe
United Kingdom
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | Bristol | The Galleries | 9am, October 12th | Hosted by Bristol Pokémon Academy | |
| Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | GAME, Fitzroy Street | Midnight Launch | ||
| Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | GAME, Lion Yard | 9am to 4pm, October 12th | Hosted by StreetPass Cambridge | |
| Devon | Plymouth | GAME, Drake Circus | Midnight Launch | Hosted by the University of Plymouth Pokémon Society | |
| Greater Manchester | Manchester | GAME, Manchester Fort | 9pm, October 11th to 1am, October 12th | Hosted by StreetPass Manchester | |
| Merseyside | Liverpool | GAME, Lord Street | 10pm, October 11th | Giveaways and prizes | Facebook Streetpass Liverpool |
| North Yorkshire | Middlesborough | GAME Middlesborough, 71-73 Linthorpe Road | 8pm October 11th to 1am October 12th | BY INVITATION ONLY, SEE IN STORE TO OBTAIN A TICKET | |
| North Yorkshire | York | GAME York, 5 Church Street and the University of York | 12am 12th October to 13th October | Midnight launch and hosted by the University of York Pokémon Society | |
| Tyne and Wear | Newcastle upon Tyne | Tiger Tiger Newcastle, Newgate Street | 2pm to 9pm, October 12th | Hosted by StreetPass Newcastle | |
| Lancashire | Lancaster | GAME, St Nicholas Arcades | 11pm, October 11th | Midnight launch and hosted by the Lancaster University Pokémon Society | |
| Wales | Cardiff | GAME, St Davids | 11am, October 11th | Hosted by StreetPass Cardiff | |
Greece
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | Amaroussion Flocafé mezzanine | 12pm, October 5th | Hosted by LegendaryPokémon.net | LegendaryPokémon.net |
Portugal
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| FNAC | Midnight Launch at all stores except Santa Catarina (Porto) |
Russia
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Petersburg | IT БАР КЛЮЧ | 8pm, October 12th | Midnight Launch. Local Pokémon Tournament | 2ch.hk |
Asia
Malaysia
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | Wendy's, Berjaya Time Square | 11am to 6pm, October 12th | Hosted by StreetPass Malaysia | |
Philippines
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Manila | Mandaluyong | Cyberzone - SM Megamall | October 12th | Video Game Tournament, StreetPass Event | |
Singapore
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 North Bridge Road | Midnight to 8pm, October 12th | Hosted by Team Robo, Nintendo 3DS Singapore and Singapore Nintendo 3DS Community |
Oceania
Australia
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Canberra | The Games Capital, Garema Place | 10am, October 12th | Video Game Casual Play, TCG Tournament ($15 Entry) | |
| New South Wales | Bega | EB Games | ? | Gen V Tournament ($10 entry) | |
| Queensland | Brisbane | EB Games, Albert Street (CBD) | Midnight Launch | ||
| Victoria | Melbourne | EB Games, Broadmeadows | Midnight Launch | ||
| Victoria | Melbourne | EB Games, Swanston Street | Midnight Launch | ||
New Zealand
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | POKECENTER, 645 Manukau Road, Royal Oak, Auckland, New Zealand) | Midday to 5pm, Sunday October 13th | Video Game Tournaments, Giveaways. Hosted by PokeCollection, additional online events on October 11th and 12th | |
Central America
Costa Rica
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San José | Pokémon Center Costa Rica, Curridabat | 8pm, October 11th | Game Tournaments, Raffles, etc | |
| San José | Game On!, Heredia | 10am, October 11th | Free Food, Exhibitions, Contests, Models | |
| San José | Revolution Space, Pérez (25 metros norte de Coopealianza Central, Contiguo a Lotus) | 7pm, October 11th to 12:30am, October 12th | Pokémon TCG, Raffles, etc | |
Guatemala
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miraflores Museum | 10:30am, October 12th | Sponsored by El Duende | Website Twitter | |
South America
Chile
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago de Chile | Mall Florida Center | 10am to 1pm, October 12th | Hosted by PokéDaisuki.cl and Juegos de Video Chile. Pokémon Cosplay Contest organized by Microplay and PokéDaisuki, Trivia. Pokémon Day Chile 2014 Release Date Announcement. | PokeDaisuki.cl |
Africa
South Africa
| Location | Time | Activities | Further Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | Johannesburg | AWX Randburg, Shop G21, Entrance 2, Brightwater Commons | ? | Video Game Tournament | AWX Newsletter |