Pokémon NAIC is moving to Chicago in 2027, but maybe it should move to Canada instead

New Orleans is apparently not big enough to live in The Pokémon‘s growing rapidly. After running for three years to fill the Big Easy with thousands of cardboard-slinging, video-battling coaches, the tournament is packing its bags. As of 2027, the NAIC is officially moving to McCormick Place in Chicago.

According to Pokémon’s Director of Global Esports and Events, Chris Brown, this North American International Championship it grew 150% faster than anyone expected. There’s no denying that Pokémon has grown, but the company’s decisions regarding this surge in popularity remain questionable.

Is Chicago the right choice? While Chicago is a lock for 2027, the move has brought back a huge, long-running controversy throughout the fandom. If this event is supposed to represent all of North America, why does it feel like the United States has a permanent monopoly on hosting duties?

For years, international players have been dropping subtle – and not so subtle – plans that would like to see the NAIC move north of the border. Canada has a large, dedicated Pokémon community, beautiful scenery, and cities like Toronto and Vancouver that could easily host a major international tournament.

So why hasn’t it happened yet?

The argument for keeping it in place often boils down to pure morality. On X, one fan put the reality check bluntly, saying that expecting the NAIC to be anywhere but the US is kind of nuts.

They pointed out that the majority of North American players live in the US, and expecting thousands of people to have the money to go to Canada or suddenly buy a passport is completely unreasonable. In their eyes, moving the tournament outside of the States would create lower attendance, which is exactly the opposite of what the growing esport wants to do.

There are good points here, of course. If you want to keep events accessible to the highest number of local players, you place the event where dense clusters of those players actually live.

On the other hand, the contradictions and contradictions are also compelling, and point to a big blind spot in the “save America” ​​concept. One fan quickly shot back at X, reminding everyone that getting a passport is easy (I’d say this depends). Also, flying to San Francisco in the World Zone is a much longer trip for most Americans than a quick hop to Toronto.

It sounds funny, but for a player who lives in New York, Michigan, or Ohio, Toronto is almost as close as a neighbor compared to a cross-country flight to California or a trip to New Orleans.

But is this just about convenience? I don’t think so, personally. Currently, many esports scenes are fighting to host major tournaments in the United States.

The head of League of Legends Esports, Chris Greeley, has faced many challenges after announcing that First Stand will be in the United States. After seeing so many visa issues at previous events, many are looking for answers as to why another major tournament was held in a country run by a xenophobic leadership that makes entry extremely difficult.

“Six out of eight members are having trouble with visa issues,” said Tanner “Damonte” Damonte, coach of the Shopify Rebels, in an interview with Sheep Esports at the beginning of 2026.

But many supporters have questioned whether experts should enter the country because of ongoing ICE raids and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric plaguing the United States. Was it a place fans wanted to take the risk of going to an esports event?

Then, Evo Vegas – once the most prestigious and important fighting game event of the year – had a record low registration in 2026. This was largely due to the rising cost of flights and hotels in the United States. Most fighting game pros couldn’t afford it.

Even if I just didn’t want to. No need to spend all that money to fly to Las Vegas when there are now 230584230489 Evo tournaments from around the world.

Similar problems exist in the Pokémon community. There are players from all over the world hoping to qualify for Worlds, and the NAIC is one of the most important stops on their journey. But shelling out all that dough for a plane ticket, risking travel hassles, and feeling unwelcome and unsafe should be considered.

If The Pokémon Company really wants to achieve the “Global” portion of the North American International Tournaments, it must eventually tackle the entire continent.

Chicago will be an amazing city to host the year 2027. It’s a major airport, has room to accommodate the explosive growth Chris Brown talks about, and keeps things relevant to US audiences. But as society continues to globalize, the pressure to look beyond America’s borders will only increase.

For now, at least we won’t have to contend with New Orleans’ extreme humidity. But I will definitely miss the live band opening ceremony and the great restaurants. But this was bound to happen. Pokémon is no longer the same. It might as well put us in Chicago.