OREGON SHOP PAUSED YU-GI-OH! FOR A WEEK OVER HYGIENE
An Oregon game store suspended its Yu-Gi-Oh! events for one week after complaints about player hygiene and restroom mistreatment.
Chronos Games & Gifts, an independent gaming store in Beaverton, announced the pause on its public Discord channel, and the suspension was reported on July 1, 2026. The store cited the restroom problems and multiple negative reviews about poor hygiene.
The Independent quoted the store’s Discord post: “We have had issues with people mistreating the restrooms and multiple bad reviews because of poor hygiene.”
The store did not stop at the pause. It also had a reminder for players.
“As a reminder, we encourage players to follow Konami guidelines and report anyone who does not.”
The Independent described Yu-Gi-Oh! as a collectible card game based on an anime franchise, played by two people using decks of cards. It compared the game to the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Magic: The Gathering.
What Konami’s rules say
Konami’s 2019 tournament guidance addresses exactly this issue. It states that attendees should be clean and wear clean clothing.
“You are expected to be clean when you enter a tournament,” the guide says, Complex reported.
The guide also explains why. “Neglecting to wash or put on clean clothes contributes to an unpleasant atmosphere at the event, as the tournament can be crowded and the day can be long.”
The guidance allows penalties, or a request to fix the problem before play continues, according to The Independent’s account of it.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship policy for 2025 takes the same line for high-profile events. That policy says the events are livestreamed globally to hundreds of thousands of viewers. It asks duelists to be showered and appropriately groomed.
Other card games have the same rules
Yu-Gi-Oh! is not the only game to spell this out. A Nebraska Pokémon Organized Play Facebook page issued its own hygiene reminder in 2025.
The Pokémon tournament handbook requires socially acceptable hygiene. It lets organizers ask a participant to change their hygiene or attire.
A player who refuses can be removed from the venue and forfeit their badge, according to the handbook.
How locals reacted
Local attendees largely backed the store. IGN reported that they praised Chronos Games & Gifts for enforcing the policy.
