Pokémon Go Champion Disqualified for 'Unsportsmanlike' Celebration

Fans outraged over decision to strip winner's title after celebratory fist pump and handshake

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:06pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the intense action and emotion of a Pokémon Go championship match, with sharp planes of color and overlapping perspectives conveying the drama of the event.A Pokémon Go championship match reduced to its raw competitive energy through a cubist lens.Today in Orlando

Pokémon Go fans are in uproar over the decision to disqualify the winner of this year's Orlando Regional Championship, Firestar73, following a celebratory gesture that was deemed 'unsportsmanlike'. Firestar73 celebrated his win by standing up and quickly removing his headphones, raising his fists in the air, and then shaking hands with his opponent, nitetimeclasher. However, tournament organizers later awarded the victory to nitetimeclasher, sparking widespread backlash from the community.

Why it matters

The disqualification of Firestar73, the rightful winner, has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of Pokémon Go tournament rules and enforcement. Fans are questioning whether the decision was made fairly or if there were underlying issues of corruption or bias. The incident has also highlighted the need for clear guidelines on acceptable celebratory behavior in esports competitions.

The details

Firestar73 was disqualified after he stood up, removed his headphones, and did a fist pump to celebrate his victory. Tournament organizers deemed this an 'unsportsmanlike' act, despite Firestar73 then going on to shake hands with his opponent, nitetimeclasher. Fans have criticized the decision as 'embarrassing' and are calling for it to be overturned, with many contacting The Pokémon Company to voice their disagreement. Nitetimeclasher, who was awarded the win, has acknowledged in private that Firestar73 was the rightful champion.

  • The Orlando Regional Championship took place on April 6, 2026.
  • Firestar73 was disqualified following his celebratory gesture at the end of the match.

The players

Firestar73

The original winner of the 2026 Orlando Regional Pokémon Go Championship, who was later disqualified for his celebratory actions.

nitetimeclasher

Firestar73's opponent, who was awarded the victory after Firestar73's disqualification.

The Pokémon Company

The organizers of the Pokémon Go Championship series, who made the decision to disqualify Firestar73.

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What they’re saying

“This is a genuinely embarrassing ruling. Like so insanely bad I can't help but jump to the conclusion of corruption... This has to be overturned. Feel bad for the deserving winner but also sucks for the other guy who is possibly going to get weird hate for something he didn't do.”

— IPissExcellentThrows, Top Pokémon Go fan on Reddit

“He had his win stripped for removing his headphone and doing a fist pump? I don't even go here but that's insane. All followed by a handshake and bow to his opponent. Craziness.”

— rainbowbrite517

“Firestar is the Orlando regional champion.”

— nitetimeclasher

What’s next

The Pokémon Company has not yet publicly addressed the growing backlash or provided an explanation for their decision. Fans are continuing to voice their disagreement and call for the ruling to be overturned, with many contacting the company directly through their support channels.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the need for clear, fair, and transparent rules around celebratory behavior in esports competitions. The Pokémon Go community is rightfully outraged over what they perceive as an unjust and embarrassing decision that undermines the integrity of the sport. Moving forward, tournament organizers must work to establish guidelines that balance sportsmanship with allowing players to authentically express their emotions after hard-fought victories.