Pokémon go player seeks tournament victory reversal over 'unsportsmanlike' celebration

A competitive Pokémon Go player is challenging a recent tournament loss after being disqualified for an unsportsmanlike celebration. Firestar73 won the 2026 Orlando Regional Championships, but was handed a game loss due to his reaction, in which he removed his headphones and stood up to perform a fist pump before calmly shaking hands with his opponent.

Firestar73 seeks reversal, citing similar celebrations permitted by pokémon company

In a statement, Firestar73 argued that his celebration was equivalent to various other examples of extremely similar reactions that can be viewed online, reactions The Pokémon Company itself has apparently told competitive players they welcome as demonstrations of the emotion and celebration that playing Pokémon video games provokes.

He also cited the Pokémon Go Tournament Handbook, which states that a game loss is only applied when a mistake severely impacts the game state. Firestar73 argued that the game had already concluded, therefore his celebration cannot be worthy of disqualification.

Despite expressing gratitude for public support and stating he holds no ill will towards judges involved, Firestar73 is now fighting to have the decision overturned. The Pokémon Company has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment on the matter.