Marcus Koh, an undergraduate studying mathematics, has qualified for the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco in August.
Marcus describes the strategy video game, which is played on a handheld device, as similar to chess, but also as one that requires customisation as players ‘train’ their Pokémon characters for combat.
He said:
“Preparation is half the battle in Pokémon.”
This preparation includes using skills he has learned as part of his maths degree to develop computer code to predict how his Pokémon might fare against their opponents.
His code allows him to simulate battles and calculate thousands of possible outcomes. He uses this information to assess how his Pokémon are likely to perform against different opponents and how much damage they are likely to sustain from an attack.
He is then able to adjust his Pokémon’s ‘stats’ – numerical values for attributes like ‘attack’, ‘defence’ and ‘speed’ – to improve his chances of winning a battle.
Marcus is a member of the University’s Pokémon Society and has only been playing Pokémon competitively for three years.
He came second in the Birmingham Regional Championships in January and achieved a top 16 placement in the Seville Special Championships in March.
Players from across the world compete to collect championship points and the top players from each region earn a place at the annual esports World Championships.
Marcus said:
“I’m thrilled to be competing in my second World Championships. I feel that I’ve learned and improved so much as a player since last year, so I’m really hoping to give it my best shot.
With this year’s World Championships being played on the new platform Pokémon Champions for the first time ever, I’m excited to take on the challenge of adapting to the new format and mechanics.”