Thousands of people descended on one of the country’s busiest cities last weekend in a hunt for exclusive Pokémon merchandise, following months of retailers being unable to keep their shelves stocked with product. Pokémon World Championship 2026, which took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, may have been destined for chaos from the start.
The three-day event, which featured live Pokémon TCG tournaments and first-look opportunities for fans, was also subject to long queues and overcrowding concerns that forced the San Francisco Fire Department to step in.
What caused the San Francisco Fire Department to step in during Pokémon Worlds?
One of the biggest draws of Pokémon Worlds was the Pin Rally, an opportunity for attendees to collect several exclusive pins from 12 stations throughout the Moscone Center. But with an estimated 50,000 attendees and only 8,000 exclusive pins to hand out each day, according to a report in SFGATE, crowds quickly became a concern.
On Friday, the first day of the event, at least half of the pin stations were already closed by 11 a.m. following reports of large crowds. On Saturday, people began lining up outside as early as 6 a.m. for a chance to get an exclusive pin, and crowds reportedly spilled out into the streets.
Crew members from the San Francisco Fire Department assessed the situation and communicated safety concerns to organizers, a spokesperson told Polygon. Despite internet rumors suggesting otherwise, the Fire Department said it did not force event organizers to close down the Pin Rally. “After discussing suggestions with the fire prevention team, the event organizers decided to shut down the pin giveaway after consulting with local fire officials,” the Fire Department said in a statement.
Event organizers closed pin stations down early on Saturday before canceling the Pin Rally altogether on Sunday. A notification sent to attendees on Saturday night read: “Hello Trainer, Pin Rally is canceled for Sunday, August 30, 2026. Please check the schedule for other activities to enjoy!”
Even before the pin stations were shut down for the weekend, people were turning to social media to express their disappointment with how the Pin Rally was handled, including user justintelmo on X (formerly Twitter) who wrote: “Pokémon XP Pin Rally is probably the worst con experience I have ever had, and I’ve been attending cons since 2006.”
Aside from the Pin Rally shutdown, many at Pokémon Worlds also had complaints regarding how lines and accommodations were being handled. One user, bugcatcherhay on X, said accommodations were “essentially non-existent.”
“The ADA at Pokémon Worlds is essentially nonexistent. I’ve had like 3 breakdowns today (especially when caught in the Espeon pin rally line disaster) and all the staff have to say is ‘sorry please move along.'”
Bugcatcherhay, who goes by Hayley, told Polygon on the record that when she and her group of friends tried to join the lines for pin stations on Friday morning, staff kept telling them not to loiter and to come back at a later time.
“When we did come back to the Umbreon booth, there was what I can only describe as a mob on all sides of the queue, waiting for it to open. Staff was again urging everyone to disperse, but in this case, no one was listening and even if they wanted to, there weren’t many places to go without being met with more people waiting or bumping into other event spaces,” Hayley explained.
When the line for the Umbreon pin opened, pushing started, Hayley recalled. Staff members were trying to corral people into a line, but there was not enough space in the hallway to accommodate a line for the number of people at the station.
“This was the point where I froze. I was so anxious, confused, and stressed that my body wouldn’t move. A member of my group eventually walked back over to grab me because I texted them that my fight, flight, fawn or freeze took over, and I didn’t think I could leave. As soon as I left the line, I started crying due to being overwhelmed,” Hayley said.
Wanting another chance at getting her pin, Hayley approached a staff member and explained her concerns.
“After telling him I have a mental disability that makes situations like this hard for me and wondering what can be done for me, his answer was essentially, ‘we don’t have anything in place for that.’ He ended up ushering me back into the line in what I genuinely think was an attempt to help me,” she said. “As we walked along, following this movement, I realized this isn’t actually an accommodation that is going to help me, and it shouldn’t be possible for them to not have had ADA policies that avoid this in place.”
Other attendees were also vocal on X, claiming they were not allowed to use the elevator and were turned away. Some attendees said that although there were ADA-accessible lines, signage was unclear, and not all Worlds staff knew which accommodations were available.
The Pokémon Company did not respond to Polygon’s request for comment.