A Pokemon judge says he was banned from the Pokemon Professors Discord after publicly criticizing Play Pokemon\u2019s decision to strip Firestar73 of his Orlando Regional Championships win.<\/p>\n
The fallout from Orlando has continued to grow since Play Pokemon officially defended the ruling<\/a> and said it would not reverse the Game Loss that cost Firestar73 the title. The company claimed the player had first received a Warning earlier in the bracket reset for hitting and shaking the table during gameplay, and that repeated disruptive behavior in game five led judges to escalate the penalty.<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n That explanation sparked immediate backlash from players and fans, with Firestar73 arguing Play Pokemon was introducing a new basis for the ruling after the fact. Now, the controversy has escalated again after a Pokemon Professor publicly sided with the player and claimed he was punished for doing so.<\/p>\n As a judge I\u2019m not supposed to discuss ruling publicly. \u2014 Professor Rex\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@RexProfessor) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Professor Rex says he joined Play Pokemon in 2023 with the goal of improving the competitive scene from the inside. Speaking during an interview with pro Smash Bros player Hungrybox, Rex said he had been one of the leading voices behind implementing Open Team Sheets and had also served as a judge at two Regional Championships.<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n Rex said he became a professor to \u201cdo my best to make sure that everybody who enters those Pokemon GO tournaments is getting the experience they deserve. And I genuinely do not think that was what happened in Orlando. I do not think that the judges upheld their duty to give not only the competitors, but everyone else in the community the best experience that they could.\u201d<\/p>\n Professor Rex says Pokemon GO is judged under rules not built for it<\/p>\n Rex also argued the issue is not just one controversial ruling, but a broader mismatch between Pokemon GO and the wider Play Pokemon ruleset.<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe rules are made for the overarching Play! environment, but Pokemon GO is vastly different from the games those rules were initially made for,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He pointed to VGC, where players usually have around 30 seconds between turns to make a decision, compared to Pokemon GO\u2019s much faster and more intense pace. <\/p>\n According to Rex, that makes the emotional release after a clutch win feel much closer to a fighting game than a traditional Pokemon match, which, in turn, makes bigger celebrations feel more natural.<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n To me, this just proves that what they want is intense celebrations, intense battles, but none of the serious stress, anxiety, and pressure that comes with competitive sports.<\/p>\n Should every player who has a nervous foot stamp or hand waggle be barred from high level competition? pic.twitter.com\/8pSwriDDsT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Professor Rex\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@RexProfessor) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In his public posts, Rex said judges are generally not supposed to discuss rulings openly, but argued that \u201cas a judge, my job is to give players a fair space to compete.\u201d He questioned the Orlando decision by asking, \u201cIf a player in a high-stakes battle can lose out on thousands of dollars for shaking the table, what kind of space have we built?\u201d<\/p>\n Rex also shared what appeared to be an internal reminder sent after Orlando warning Professors not to publicly discuss rulings from events they were not present at, and saying outside complaints about a program member\u2019s conduct could lead to disciplinary action if they posed \u201ca threat to our values.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n Rex then claimed he had been banned from the Pokemon Professors Discord, saying his messages about the incident had been deleted and that he expected further disciplinary action from Play Pokemon. He also directly told Firestar73 that he \u201cdeserved to win.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n Rex says head judges can be wrong and overturned<\/p>\n During the Hungrybox interview, Rex also pushed back on the idea that a head judge\u2019s decision is always beyond review.<\/p>\n He recalled one past incident where a player was allegedly given the wrong match time by an event worker, only to be hit with a Game Loss for arriving late. Rex said he approached the head judge on the player\u2019s behalf, but was initially told the ruling could not be changed and that any further complaint would have to go through the support portal.<\/p>\n Article continues after ad<\/p>\n I have now been banned from the Pok\u00e9mon Professors Discord.
However, I also believe that as a judge my job is to give players a fair space to compete.
If a player in a high stakes battle can lose out on thousands of dollars for shaking the table, what kind of space have we built? https:\/\/t.co\/ZjYke1Bcr0<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/oHU9OtwM0n<\/a><\/p>\n
They deleted all of my messages regarding the incident. Will update everyone when I get my disciplinary email from Play!Pokemon.@Firestar73_<\/a> you deserved to win. They can\u2019t silence me on that. https:\/\/t.co\/sR79h3K4fM<\/a><\/p>\n