Pokémon World Championships competitor Ian Robb seemingly defeated opponent Fernando Cifuentes in the quarterfinals of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, advancing to the penultimate round of Pokémon’s most prestigious event. But when the next round began, Cifuentes was in Robb’s place, causing confusion among observers and chaos in the bracket.
As it turned out, Robb suffered a loss due to what Chris Brown, director of global esports and events for The Pokémon Company International, called an “unsportsmanlike conduct penalty” in an interview with IGN.
“It was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” Brown said. “We applied it to the game that had just taken place, and the standard penalty for that is a loss.”
I thought it was some ungentlemanly behaviour from Ian Robb, but it looks like the masturbation gesture he made at the end of the quarter-final was a no-no.
#Pokémon WCS2024Day2 #WCS2024 photo: twitter.com/izx5vyabjq
— YuD (@ikuo_x) August 18, 2024
The unsportsmanlike conduct Brown referred to was a gesture Robb made after announcing his victory that many found offensive. As a result, Robb was removed from the tournament, although he was allowed to keep his prize money for finishing in the final eight. Quarterfinalists receive $15,000, while the winner receives $50,000.
Some fans criticized the decision, saying it changed the course of the tournament, though others defended The Pokémon Company’s decision.
“When I first heard about this I assumed Pokemon was soft, but after watching the clip I think they made the right decision. They should have known better. It can’t be stressed enough how much Pokemon is aimed at children. I completely understand they want to discourage such gestures,” one fan wrote. Reddit.
Robb, for his part, has remained hushed, although he has posted his support for Cifuentes on the website. X/Twitter“I’m rooting for him today. After meeting him and his father, I could tell how much it meant to him to make it to the World Championships. He’s a deserving champion.”
Ultimately, Cifuentes won the tournament, defeating runner-up Seinosuke Shiokawa in the Masters division.
The Pokémon World Tournament concluded on Sunday, crowning the winners and revealing where the next tournament will be held. The Pokémon Company also shared the release date for Pokémon TCG Pocket and more. You can find everything announced at the Pokémon World Championships here.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s news director and also co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? DM her @the_katbot.
