LAIC 2027 in São Paulo: guide and the Pokémon TCG meta

LAIC runs Nov 20–22 in São Paulo: prizes, schedule and the meta. The world champion wins Puebla with Dragapult; Delta Reign should be legal.

Oct 29, 2026 · by ArcanoLeviata317 · 9 min read

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LAIC 2027 in São Paulo: guide and the Pokémon TCG meta

When is LAIC 2027 and what should you expect from the Pokémon TCG there? The Latin America International Championships (LAIC) runs November 20–22, 2026, at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo, with more than US$500,000 in prizes and a direct World Championships invitation for the four finalists in each division. The meta arrives shaped by October's Regionals: in Puebla, on October 24–25, world champion Andrew Hedrick won with Dragapult ex, and the deck's variants added up to almost 30% of players in both Puebla and Nice. And the Mega Evolution—Delta Reign expansion should become legal on the very first day of the event.

What LAIC 2027 is and where it takes place

LAIC is the first International Championships of Play! Pokémon's 2027 season, according to the official event page. It is three days of competition in the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon Champions (video game) and Pokémon GO.

Dates: November 20, 21 and 22, 2026 (Friday to Sunday).
Venue: Centro de Convenções – Distrito Anhembi, Av. Olavo Fontoura, 1209, Santana, São Paulo.
Registration: competitor registration opened in two waves, on September 22 and 23, 2026, on the RK9 platform; spectator registration has been open since September 23.
Kit: competitors receive a playmat, deck box and a promo card.

Away from the main tables there will be a card trading area, side events and the first LAIC Cosplay Showcase.

How much is winning LAIC worth in the Pokémon TCG?

In the TCG Masters division, the official 2027 International Championships prize table pays:

1st place — US$25,000 and 500 Championship Points (CP)
2nd place — US$15,000 and 480 CP
3rd and 4th — US$10,000 and 420 CP
5th to 8th — US$7,000 and 380 CP
9th to 16th — US$5,000 and 300 CP (cash prizes go down to 64th)

The four finalists in each division earn a direct invitation to the 2027 World Championships, regardless of their end-of-season points. Amounts are in US dollars and subject to tax withholding; players under 18 are paid in scholarships or a prepaid VISA card.

What is the Pokémon TCG meta before LAIC?

Dragapult ex is still the deck to beat. The two most recent Regionals, both in the Temporal Forces to 30th Celebration format (the same one LAIC uses until Delta Reign comes in), show the archetype comfortably ahead.

Puebla Regional (Mexico), October 24–25, 2026 — 2,234 players. Andrew Hedrick of the United States won with a record of 14 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. Hedrick is the reigning world champion: he won the 2026 World Championships in August, also with Dragapult. Six of Puebla's top eight played some version of the deck — Hedrick and Caleb Rogerson (US) finished 1st and 2nd, and the exceptions in the top eight were Nathan Ginsburg (3rd, Alakazam/Dudunsparce) and Eduardo Dueñas (8th, Lopunny/Dusknoir).

Hedrick's list runs 4 Dreepy, 4 Drakloak and 3 Dragapult ex, with 2 Munkidori, 4 Crushing Hammer, 2 Crispin and three each of Fire, Darkness and Psychic Energy. Dragapult ex's Phantom Dive attack does 200 damage and spreads six damage counters across the opponent's Bench.

Dragapult ex card from the Ascended Heroes set

Dragapult ex, Ascended Heroes (me02.5-160). Illustration: 5ban Graphics · Image: TCGdex · © Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK

Nice Regional (France), October 17–18, 2026 — 2,336 players. Here the story was different: Switzerland's Luc Gantner finished 1st with 15 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties playing "Basic Box", a deck of Basic Pokémon only. Nice's top eight had just two Dragapult decks (5th and 6th) and two Ogerpon/Hydrapple decks (3rd and 8th).

How many players are on Dragapult?

According to Limitless Labs data, which counts every registered player, the main Dragapult build was the most played archetype at both events:

Puebla — Dragapult 17.60% (48.88% win rate); Basic Box 7.74%; N's Zoroark 6.39%; Dragapult/Blaziken 5.85%; Dragapult/Dusknoir 5.72%
Nice — Dragapult 19.79% (50.30% win rate); Slowking 7.30%; Basic Box 7.12%; Dhelmise 5.49%; Festival Lead 5.24%

Adding the three variants (main, with Blaziken and with Dusknoir), Dragapult took 29.17% of the field in Puebla and 28.85% in Nice. On day two its share grew: per Limitless statistics, Dragapult made up 34.60% of phase-two lists in Puebla and 35.66% in Nice. In Recife, the combined share was 32.93% (our analysis).

What does the deck that won Nice look like?

Gantner's Basic Box runs 21 Pokémon, 24 Trainers and 15 Energy of five types. Instead of evolving, it uses only hard-hitting Basic Pokémon. The highlights:

4 Mega Kangaskhan ex (Mega Evolution 104) — 300 HP; its Run Errand Ability draws 2 cards per turn while it is Active, and its Rapid-Fire Combo attack does 200 plus 50 for each heads until you flip tails.
2 Lillie's Clefairy ex (Ascended Heroes 076) — 190 HP; its Fairy Zone Ability changes the Weakness of the opponent's Dragon Pokémon to Psychic. Against Dragapult ex, a Dragon type, that doubles the damage of Psychic attackers.

Mega Kangaskhan ex card from the Mega Evolution set

Mega Kangaskhan ex, Mega Evolution (me01-104). Illustration: 5ban Graphics · Image: TCGdex · © Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK

Lillie's Clefairy ex card from the Ascended Heroes set

Lillie's Clefairy ex, Ascended Heroes (me02.5-076). Illustration: 5ban Graphics · Image: TCGdex · © Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK

Will Delta Reign be legal at LAIC?

The Pokémon Company published the Mega Evolution—Delta Reign rule changes announcement on October 22, 2026: no cards were banned in Standard or Expanded, and the changes take effect on November 20, 2026 — the first day of LAIC. The page does not state the exact date the expansion becomes tournament legal.

The rule in place since January 28, 2026 says a new expansion becomes legal two weeks after its booster products release, according to Bulbapedia. Delta Reign hits stores on November 6, 2026 (and Pokémon TCG Live on November 5); by that count, it lands on November 20. Check the Play! Pokémon site before locking in your list.

We covered the set, with Mega Rayquaza ex and the Legendary Stadiums, in our Delta Reign guide.

How to watch LAIC and earn boosters in TCG Live

The broadcast airs on the LAIC Broadcast Hub, Twitch and the Play! Pokémon YouTube channel. Pokémon TCG times, in Brasília time (BRT):

Friday, November 20 — opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m.; TCG from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 21 — TCG from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 22 — TCG finals from 11:00 a.m.

Viewers on Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG with Twitch Drops enabled get codes for Pokémon TCG Live: 30 minutes earns 4 digital Delta Reign boosters; 45 minutes, a set of 4 Raikou ex (2 special illustration rare and 2 double rare); 60 minutes, Salamence cosmetics. The codes expire on December 21, 2026.

What changes for buyers, sellers and collectors

If you are playing LAIC: expect to face Dragapult at roughly 3 in 10 tables, and more on day two. Test your deck against it and set aside time to fit in Delta Reign cards between November 6 and 20.
If you want to build Basic Box: the key pieces are cheap in their regular versions. Per the TCGdex API (Cardmarket trend price on October 28, 2026), Mega Kangaskhan ex goes for €1.83, Lillie's Clefairy ex for €2.02 and Teal Mask Ogerpon ex for €3.42. See who sells Mega Kangaskhan ex on Collector Union.
If you want Dragapult ex: the Ascended Heroes version was €1.39 on Cardmarket and US$1.00 on TCGplayer (October 14 data). Compare with who sells Dragapult ex here.
If you are selling: list with the exact name and set code (ASC 160, MEG 104, ASC 076). We did not check prices in Brazilian reais for this article.

Our take

This section is opinion, based on the numbers above.

Puebla and Nice tell two stories. In Puebla, Dragapult converted: the world champion won and the deck took six of the top eight spots. In Nice, the most played deck missed the top four, and a Basic Box with Lillie's Clefairy ex — a card built to punish Dragon Pokémon — took the title. Dragapult's win rate, close to 50% at both events, suggests it wins on sheer numbers rather than by dominating its matchups.

LAIC adds one more variable: Delta Reign, if confirmed in the format, arrives two weeks earlier, with little time to test. In that scenario, a tested list tends to be worth more than a barely played new card. A deck prepared for Dragapult, like Gantner's, looks like a reasonable bet.

Quick summary

LAIC 2027 runs November 20–22, 2026, at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo.
The TCG Masters champion takes US$25,000 and 500 CP; the four finalists earn a 2027 Worlds invitation.
Andrew Hedrick, the 2026 world champion, won the Puebla Regional (2,234 players) with Dragapult ex.
Luc Gantner won Nice (2,336 players) with Basic Box, a Mega Kangaskhan ex and Lillie's Clefairy ex deck.
Dragapult made up 29.17% of the field in Puebla and 28.85% in Nice.
The Delta Reign rule changes announcement banned no cards and takes effect on November 20.

Frequently asked questions

When and where is LAIC 2027?

The 2027 Latin America International Championships runs November 20–22, 2026, at the Distrito Anhembi convention center in São Paulo. It is the first International of Play! Pokémon's 2027 season.

How much does the Pokémon TCG champion win at LAIC?

In the Masters division, 1st place receives US$25,000 and 500 Championship Points, according to the official 2027 International Championships table. The four finalists earn a direct invitation to the 2027 World Championships.

What is the most played Pokémon TCG deck in October 2026?

Dragapult ex. Counting its variants, it had 29.17% of players in Puebla and 28.85% in Nice, according to Limitless Labs; in Puebla, it won the event.

Will the Delta Reign expansion be legal at LAIC?

The official Delta Reign rule changes announcement takes effect on November 20, 2026, the first day of LAIC, and under the two-weeks-after-release rule the November 6 expansion would become legal on that date. The official page does not state the legality date; check with Play! Pokémon.