An independent gaming store in Oregon has suspended its weekly trading card tournaments following a wave of complaints and negative reviews over the body odor of some participants.
Chronos Games & Gifts, in Beaverton, Oregon, announced the weeklong pause on its public Discord channel, citing recurring issues with Yu-Gi-Oh! players’ cleanliness and the mistreatment of the store’s restroom facilities, IGN reported.
“We have had issues with people mistreating the restrooms and multiple bad reviews because of poor hygiene,” the Discord statement read. “As a reminder, we encourage players to follow Konami guidelines and report anyone who does not.”
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a collectable card game off the anime franchise that pits two players against each other using deck of cards. It similar to Pokemon trading card game or Magic: The Gathering.
The issue of hygiene in competitive gaming circles has previously prompted major publishers to implement formal regulations.
In 2019, Yu-Gi-Oh! publisher Konami updated its official tournament guide to state that anyone attending an event must be clean and wear clean clothing. The rules specify that neglecting self-care creates an unpleasant atmosphere in crowded venues, and individuals who negatively impact the event can be penalized or asked to remedy the issue before continuing.
In addition, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship 2025 Tournament Policy explicitly highlights the importance of presentation for high-profile events. The policy states that because tournaments are livestreamed globally to hundreds of thousands of viewers, duelists should be showered and appropriately groomed to avoid contributing to an unpleasant atmosphere.
Local attendees have largely praised Chronos Games & Gifts for its enforcement of the policy, according to IGN.
Similar measures have been adopted within other gaming communities. In 2025, the Nebraska Pokemon Organized Play Facebook page issued a reminder to its community regarding player cleanliness, pointing to requirements in the official Play! Pokemon Tournament Rules Handbook.
As detailed in the handbook, participants must maintain a socially acceptable level of hygiene. The rules grant tournament organizers the authority to request that a participant update their personal hygiene or attire. Under these guidelines, a refusal to comply serves as grounds for immediate removal from the venue and the forfeiture of the participant’s badge.
