PokemonXP cancels Day 3 Pin Rally after chaotic crowds and lines

The Pin Rally at PokemonXP drew large groups of fans to designated booths around the Moscone Center.

The Pokemon Company has informed attendees of Pokemon Worlds and PokemonXP that the Pin Rally has been canceled for Sunday, the third and final day of the event. The decision comes after the first two days of the show saw mass crowds as fans sought to bring home pins of their favorite characters.

The alert was sent out to Pokemon Worlds and XP attendees via the Pokemon Events app shortly before 9 p.m. PT this evening. “Hello Trainer,” the message reads. “Pin Rally is canceled for Sunday, August 30, 2026.”

No reason was given for the cancellation, but as someone who witnessed it firsthand, it was likely the result of the massive crowds that descended on the Moscone Center on Friday and Saturday as fans looked to secure event-exclusive pins that could only be received at specific locations around the event. Pins included Pokemon like Jirachi, Greninja, and Ferrothorn, but it was the Charizard and Umbreon pins that drew the largest crowds.

It led to general chaos in the early hours of the event, as staffers and crew attempted to corral attendees, but the crowds frequently leaked into other areas of the convention, and in the case of the Umbreon pin on Friday, completely clogged a main walkway.

PokemonXP and Pokemon Worlds opened up this morning at 8 a.m. PT, and by 10:13 a.m. PT, all 12 Pin Rally locations had been shut down for the day. Audiences were told to come back on Sunday to try again, but that will no longer be an option.

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