A competitive Pokémon Go player has been stripped of his win at an Orlando tournament because he popped off after he won the deciding match.
Firestar73, a seasoned Go player who has competed in tournaments such as the official Pokémon World Championship, was reportedly barred from the first-place finish he’d earned due to what was deemed an “unsportsmanlike” reaction to winning. Fellow Go competitive player AXN shared a clip of the moment on X, which shows Firestar standing up, taking his headphones off and fist pumping to the crowd. It’s altogether pretty tame and more than merited after a tense match. According to AXN, the headphone throwing was the real problem, with the judges allegedly deeming the force he used as “too hard.” As a result, NiteTimeClasher, who Firestar was celebrating a win against, was granted the winner’s title.
After a long loser’s bracket run, @Firestar73_ wins a decisive game 5 to win the Orlando Regional Championship. Allegedly this celebration was unsportsmanlike, resulting in a game loss and giving NTC The win. I’m at a loss for words, I feel so bad for firestar. pic.twitter.com/72l1RJO31v
— AXN (@ItsAXN) April 5, 2026
Fans have been rallying around Firestar, with several calling on people to complain directly to The Pokémon Company’s esports division about the ruling, as well as starting social media campaigns with hashtags like “#justiceforfirestar.” The official Play Pokémon social media accounts stopped posting live updates on the Go tournament after Firestar was disqualified, though the comments section on the updates for the TCG competition are flooded with people telling the company to give Firestar the winner title.
Dear @pokemon,
At the Orlando Pokémon Regional Championships 2026.
Firestar73 was celebrating his victory respectfully and without any misconduct, showing clear sportsmanship toward his opponent.
However, we have learned that his win was subsequently nullified and awarded to…
— TheActualNomad (@TheActualNomad) April 6, 2026
According to the official Pokémon competitive handbook, what is considered “unsportsmanlike” is pretty vague, with it being left primarily to judges’ discretion. Some actions, such as being late to a match, are spelled out as potentially meriting a penalty, but “unsportsmanlike” is left relatively broad.
Play! Pokémon focuses on two primary concepts when considering our penalty philosophy: base infractions and game state.
Base infractions represent the most common issues seen at tournaments and act as references for assessing what penalties should be applied for the infraction. Base infractions include procedural errors, arriving late to a match, or unsportsmanlike behavior.
The game state encompasses all parts of the game currently in play, such as competitors’ hands, the cards in play, current Pokémon on a competitor’s team (including their moves and held items), etc.
Judges must consider what infractions occurred and their total effect on the game state to determine the correct penalty for the situation.
We’ve reached out to The Pokémon Company for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
