Orlando hosted the first Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championship.
The inaugural championship took place in Orlando, Florida, in 2004. It was the first event to bring top Pokémon Trading Card Game competitors together for a global championship under the Pokémon organized-play system.
The early event was held at the Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa and included more than 100 invited contestants from different countries. At that time, the World Championships centered on the trading card game rather than the video-game competitions that later became part of the event.
Video Game Championships were added to the World Championships structure in 2008. Later editions also included formats such as Pokkén Tournament and Pokémon Unite. Although the franchise began in Japan, many early World Championships were held in the United States, including the first one in Orlando.