Pokémon Sword and Shield: How to sign up for the 2020 International Challenge

Pokemon 2020 International Challenge (Image credit: The Pokémon Company)

Pokémon's 2020 International Challenge starts this week and runs from Thursday, February 27, at 4:00 p.m. PST until March 1, at 3:59 p.m. PST! Players from around the world will battle against each other to prove who really is the best. Top competitors can earn points towards an invitation to the Pokémon World Championships. However, to participate in the 2020 International Challenge, players must sign up before Thursday, February 27, 2020, at 3:59 p.m. PST. Here's how to sign up.

Players must sign up before Thursday, February 27, 2020, at 3:59 p.m. PST.

Open Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield on your Nintendo Switch.
Press the A button to get past the loading screen.Source: iMore

Pokemon Sword Shield How To Get Bulbasaur Squirtle (Image credit: iMore)

Once your game loads up, press the X button on the right Joy-Con.
Select VS menuSource: iMore and VS menu

Select Battle Stadium
Press A when it says, "You're now connected to the internet."Source: Battle Stadium

If you haven't been to this menu before, a tutorial will pop up. Press A to get through the tutorial.
Select Online Competitions.Source: Tutorials and Online Competitions

If you haven't been to this menu before, a tutorial will pop up. Press A to get through the tutorial.
Select Search Official Competitions.Source: Tutorials and Search Official Competitions

Select 2020 Intenational Challenge Feb. Masters Division.
This screen will pop up showing the challenge details. Press A to enter the challenge.Source: 2020 International Challenge Feb Masters Division and Regulations

Several notices will pop up. Make sure to read through them. Press A to get past them.
Select Enter.Source: Notices and Enter

Press A when it says, "Your entry is complete!"

Now that you've signed up for the 2020 International Challenge, you'll be able to battle against other players and see just how good of a Pokémon trainer you are. You'll be able to participate in the challenge as soon as it starts on February 27, 2020. Good luck out there and have fun.

Additional Equipment

You can greatly enhance your Nintendo Switch gaming sessions with awesome accessories. These are some that I personally love.

SanDisk 128GB micoSD Card ($26 at Amazon)

Give you Nintendo Switch 128GB of extra space with this Mario-themed micro SD card. That's plenty of room for housing game data, screenshots, and downloads.

Hori compact playstand for Nintendo Switch

Hori Compact Playstand ($13 at Amazon)

Prop up your Nintendo Switch while playing in tabletop mode or when watching Hulu or YouTube. I love this stand since it folds flat and offers three different viewing angles.

Powera Wireless Enhanced Controller Pikachu Mewtwo

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller - Pikachu vs. Mewtwo ($45 at Amazon)

Take down the competition with this awesome controller. It's wireless and features an epic battle between Pikachu and Mewtwo. It's the perfect controller for competitive Pokémon battles.

Gaming aficionado Rebecca Spear is iMore's dedicated gaming editor with a focus on Nintendo Switch and iOS gaming. You’ll never catch her without her Switch or her iPad Air handy. If you’ve got a question about Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, or just about any other Nintendo series check out her guides to help you out. Rebecca has written thousands of articles in the last six years including hundreds of extensive gaming guides, previews, and reviews for both Switch and Apple Arcade. She also loves checking out new gaming accessories like iPhone controllers and has her ear to the ground when it comes to covering the next big trend.