So here's something I didn't expect to see today. The Pokemon TCG just dropped their 2026 World Championship deck lineup, and one name really jumped out at me. KSI's Gardevoir. As in, the YouTuber and rapper KSI.
Now before you start thinking this is some weird marketing collab, it's not quite what it seems. These championship decks are always named after the players who actually piloted them to victory at Worlds. And yeah, turns out KSI competed. Who knew the guy behind "Thick of It" was also crushing it with Gardevoir ex in competitive Pokemon?
The deck itself is basically the Gardevoir ex build that's been dominating standard format lately. You know the one. Psychic Embrace letting you accelerate energy like crazy while your opponent watches helplessly. It's been everywhere in tournaments, so honestly not surprised someone rode it all the way to a Worlds finish.
What gets me is how this perfectly captures where we're at with gaming culture right now. Content creators aren't just playing games on stream anymore. They're showing up at the highest levels of competition. And KSI bringing home a championship deck? That's gonna sell like hotcakes when these drop later this year.
I'm just waiting for the inevitable unboxing videos where KSI opens his own championship deck. The internet's gonna eat that up. But hey, respect where it's due. Making it to Worlds is no joke, celebrity or not.
Fred
Shooters — FPS, tactical, battle royale, competitive multiplayer