Pokemon Worlds TCG competitor allegedly disqualified for cheating

A TCG player competing in the Pokemon World Championships 2024 has seemingly been disqualified after footage online allegedly shows them cheating and moving cards during play to use at a later point.

In footage shared to X by user @asagi07214545 the player can be seen shuffling their deck, only to then place a card from their discard pile onto their lap. The tournament result shows they were later disqualified during a different match, though the reason is currently unknown.

Players were quick to try and discover who the player was, with a comment underneath the video asking, “Which round was this?” Then, adding that the footage takes place on table “859” and that the time should be “easy to look up.”

Another player commented, “Guessing it was this match,” and showed a game between Luke Parkes and Carlos Eduardo Ruiz. One reader’s comment showed a later result for Ruiz, which indicated they were disqualified.

One of the main reasons for concern among the community was that Ruiz was playing on a professor mat, showing that they could be working alongside The Pokemon Company as a professor. These volunteers help to make sure people play properly and ensure rules are followed.

A comment underneath the video said, “As a Pokemon Professor, if this man is a professor, he is not representing our values for the community What a shame.” Then another comment adds that if the player is a professor, there “should be a lifetime ban.”

Other disappointed players added, “This is why I don’t play the game,” before explaining, “Imagine traveling and working hard to get to these events and then finding out you lost to someone like this.”

While there is no official word from Ruiz, a Pokemon TCG collective called El Calabozo Coleccionables based in Mexico – which seemingly Ruiz was a part of – has released a statement to Facebook denouncing his behavior and separating ties.

Official rankings are yet to be fully published, but Eduardo Ruiz can be found on the Pokemon TCG Worlds leaderboard, though there is no note to confirm whether or not they have been disqualified.