Play! Pokemon issues statement after TCG judge DQs player over preferred pronoun kerfuffle

Play! Pokemon’s Twitter account has released an official statement regarding the lack of transparency in a recent disqualification kerfuffle involving a player’s preferred pronouns.

The official Twitter account for Pokemon TCG, VG and mobile games released a statement earlier regarding recent events about a player being disqualified due to a preferred pronoun incident.

Pokemon TCG player Makani Tran was disqualified by judges from the Charlotte Pokemon regionals after they deemed his preferred pronoun response had violated the tournament policies about inclusivity. After the disqualification, Tran took to Twitter to share his side of the story, explaining that due to versing a high-profile player on stream, the nerves had caused him to fumble over his words.

Tran let out a nervous laugh whilst responding with his preferred pronouns, accidentally forgetting the third pronoun (he/ him/ his). The judges deemed that Tran’s response was inappropriate for the tournament, and had violated the tournament rules. Tran was then disqualified from the event and was not allowed back inside the venue, losing out on flight costs, school time, and his dream.

Play! Pokemon releases statement after preferred pronoun disqualification

Play! Pokemon, the official Twitter account for TCG, VG, and mobile games released a statement on April 4 that seemed to be regarding Tran’s situation. The statement spoke about how Play! Pokemon is doing its best to investigate ways it can increase transparency and better inform the community about significant changes concerning the organization’s activities.

The statement looked to involve the kerfuffle about preferred pronouns, with Play! Pokemon including a section on mutual respect and supporting a welcoming environment for everyone at their events.

The statement continues by speaking about the importance of community at their gatherings, and how the community plays a vital role in upholding the integrity of their programs. Play! Pokemon states they “recognize the importance of increasing transparency and evaluating our processes.

“We appreciate your patience as we work towards evolving our program, policies, and this partnership” they note, concluding their statement by appreciating everyone’s continued support to one another within the community.

There has yet to be further news about Tran’s disqualification during the Charlotte Pokemon regionals, however, through crowdfunding the teenager was able to make up for their losses financially.

Play! Pokemon has yet to release an official statement directly about Tran’s disqualification as of the time of writing.