The upcoming competitive rules for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Regulation H, will go live shortly after the World Championships. Professional players are confident that the change in format will attract new players to the VGC scene.

All eyes are on the best Pokémon players as they compete in the World Championships across VGC, TCG, Go, and UNITE next week (August 16-18). If you’re a casual player or fan, you might walk away from Worlds feeling inspired to pick up one of these games and get a taste of the competitive side. Scarlet and Violet players, for example, might want to give VGC a try if they haven’t already.

But entering VGC might sound intimidating with so many different Pokémon to look forward to and collect. After all, the rules for Worlds are Regulation G, Scarlet and Violet’s first single-restricted format, with Legendaries like Calyrex, Miraidon, and Urshifu dominating the meta. As you can imagine, obtaining all of these rare Legendary Pokémon takes a lot more time and resources than obtaining the average creature. You may have to go as far as playing other games like Sword, Shield, or Legends: Arceus to get the right Legendaries for your competitive teams.

That will all change with Regulation H (September 1 to January 5, 2025), when all Legendary and Paradox Pokémon will be removed from competitive play. Without the worry of catching the rarer Legendaries, VGC will become "a lot easier for people to get into," according to pro players Stefan Mott, Joseph Ugarte, and Baris Ackos on the OHKO podcast. They point out that most of the legal Pokémon in Regulation H will be relatively easy to obtain in multiples, with one exception: Bloodmoon Ursaluna.