Esports illustrated

Pokémon TCG Player Caught Cheating in 4K at Malmo Regional

The Pokémon TCG community has voiced its outrage at the latest cheating scandal and lack of organizer action at the Malmo Regional.

Olivia Richman

Pokémon TCG Player Caught Cheating in 4K at Malmo Regional
Pokémon TCG Player Caught Cheating in 4K at Malmo Regional /

Pokémon TCG players can’t stop cheating on stream and the competitive community is calling for something to be done.

Regionals are where the best Pokémon card players in the world come together to compete for high placement in an attempt to qualify for the World Championship. As the day goes on, the players with the best records end up having a chance to appear on the livestream, with their intense match streamed for fans at home to watch and learn.

Despite having the camera directly on them, players have continued to try and get away with shockingly blatant illegal plays. The most recent controversy comes from the regional in Malmo, Sweden on May 20-21.

Oliver Barnett and Lasse Puisto both appeared on stream with a 9-2-1 record, meaning both had qualified for Day 2 and had a good amount of points on the line. Barnett was playing Lost Zone Box — a high IQ one-prize deck that is focused on getting as many cards into the Lost Zone as possible — while Puisto was playing Fusion Mew VMax, which is a deck with an incredible amount of draw power.

Both players were at two prize cards remaining when it happened.

Barnett knocked out Puisto’s active Pokémon and went to take his prizes. In the trading card game, prize cards are face down. This means players generally don't know what card they'll get when they claim a prize. During the stream, however, a camera shows the prize cards under the table so viewers can get a better idea of the board state.

When Barnett took the prize cards, he initially picked one up and flipped it over. Then, he put the prize card back and grabbed the other one, most likely feeling that the other card was more useful.

This is, of course, against the rules.

The commentators didn’t seem to notice the questionable behavior and nothing was said. But some people in the Twitch chat questioned what they just saw. Later, a clip was shared on Twitter that had the Pokémon community outraged.

Pokémon TCG Players Demand Something Be Done About Cheaters

The reaction to the prize situation had Pokémon players flabbergasted. On Twitter, many replied with shock that Barnett had no apparent shame about his shady behavior. Another player noted that this is why the TCG “can’t have nice things.”

That’s because this is far from the first time a top player was caught cheating on stream. Another recent incident included pro player Isaiah Bradner using the Irida trainer card to take two item cards from his deck rather than a water-type Pokémon and an item. When his opponent asked to see what cards he took from Irida, Bradner showed two cards from his hand that were not what people saw him take from his deck, leading viewers to believe he knew he was blatantly doing something wrong.

But what made Pokémon players angrier is that the organizers never addressed the situation. Bradner has qualified for Worlds and has continued to play in Pokémon tournaments.

At this point, it’s almost as if the situation never happened — and that’s probably because it happens at so many events that it’s no longer shocking to TCG players. In addition to top players blatantly cheating on stream, many players have stories of their own experiences during regionals and other big events.

While the Head Judge can help figure out some situations at a regional, it’s still pretty much the Wild West when it comes to getting The Pokémon Company involved. Few players have ever been banned in the game's long history. The community still remembers when top player Michael Long was banned for hiding a Greninja in his lap because it was one of the few instances where there were major consequences.

For now, all the community can do is condemn players who cheat in competitions, hoping to shame them out of competing. But many are asking for more consistent punishments when someone is accused of cheating, especially with proof on stream. 

Published
Olivia Richman
OLIVIA RICHMAN

Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats.  Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!