ONE of the most popular parts of the Pokémon franchise is the Trading Card Game, which appeals to collectors and players alike.
Recently, there was an illustration contest with prizes of up to $5,000, and the top three designs will be turned into actual Pokémon TCG cards.
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This is a dream come true for many Pokémon fans, who would love to see their work as part of their favorite franchise.
However, the competition’s judges were criticized after several finalists apparently broke the rules.
Thousands of people submitted their photos to the contest, but only 300 images made it to the final.
There are several rules that participants must follow, or they risk being disqualified from the competition.
Once the finalists were announced, a series of images were scrutinized as fans believed rules had been broken.
The Pokémon Company has now admitted that a rules violation has occurred and that the offending images will be disqualified.
An official statement reads: “We are aware that the participants selected from the 300 finalists of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 have violated the official contest rules.
“As a result, participants who violated the rules were disqualified from the contest.
“In addition, other artists participating in the competition will soon be selected to be among the 300 finalists.
“We are committed to upholding the integrity of the Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest and appreciate fans’ continued support as we celebrate the artistic abilities of the talented Pokémon community.”
Pokémon did not name the images that violated the rules, and currently the original 300 images are still on the site.
One of the rules states that there is a “Limit of three unique entries per person” and that anyone submitting more than that may be disqualified.
Fans have noticed that there are a number of entries among the finalists attributed to artists with very similar names, suggesting that entries have exceeded the limit.
Another rule states: “Each entrant warrants that his or her entry is original… and created solely by him or her.”
It is speculated that some images were created using AI due to perspective issues, unnatural lines, and mixing of distinct objects.
Although fans were disappointed that the violating images made it to the finals, they are happy that these designs will be replaced with entries from other artists.
If you want to read more about Pokémon, check out the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Violet raid.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
