We have some important news that we need to share with all of you. As previously announced, Wizards of the Coast was not given the licensing rights for the Ruby & Sapphire releases and other future expansions for Pokémon. We have also previously announced that Wizards of the Coast will still fully support Pokémon throughout the rest of our existing agreements. We wanted to let you know the specific end dates of our programs so that Players and Retailers alike can make their own future plans while fully informed.

All Wizards of the Coast Organized Play Programs for Pokémon (in North America) will finish by the end of August 2003. Specific end dates for each program will follow.

• The final Pokémon premiere events held in North America will take at the 2003 San Diego Comicon (Fan Appreciation Tournament), Origins (Pokémon Professor Championship), and Gen Con (Team Multiplay Championship, Final Fan Appreciation Event) conventions. Details for these events are posted on our web site.
• Pokémon BattleZone’s North American final season will be the July 2003 season (Europe will run BattleZone until the end of September). This season will include additional prizes and promo cards as a thank you for the players and retailers who supported the Pokémon League over these last 3 ½ years.
• The Pokémon Professor Program will end on August 31st. The online test will be taken down on July 1st. This means that if you want to join the Pokémon Professor program, you must join it before July 1st, 2003. (note: The Professor Championship takes place on June 28,2003)
• DCI Sanctioning of Pokémon Events will end on August 31st as well. Any events scheduled after that date will not be DCI sanctioned, though we encourage you to still run events to support Pokémon as you see fit. The DCI Ratings and Ranking System for Pokémon will have their final update and remain online for viewing until September 30th, at which point they will be taken down.
• The Pokémon Chat will have its final episode on July 10th due to the busy convention season and the PokéGym Message boards will be closed on August 8th.
• It is important to note that while we will not be manufacturing and distributing the Pokémon trading card game after the above releases, the large worldwide player base that has evolved can carry on the fun and enjoyment of playing, trading, collecting. I would encourage all of you to contact the Pokémon Company for details regarding its plans for tournaments and organize play events. While Wizards of the Coast won’t be working on the Pokémon trading card game, we have a long list of other lifestyle games that will appeal to many of you like Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars, and MLB Showdown trading card games.
• We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has purchased our products, participated in the many events that we have hosted such as the Super Trainer Showdowns, mall tours, Pokémon Leagues, and last year’s World Championship in Seattle.