Card Shop Shuts Down Yu-Gi-Oh Tournaments Because of Smelly Players

An Oregon card shop has halted its Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments for a week after receiving multiple complaints and bad reviews due to smelly players.

Chronos Games & Gifts, an independently-owned game store in Beaverton, Oregon, is going viral for taking a hard stance against poor hygiene.

In a statement posted in its public Discord channel, the shop confirmed that it is suspending its Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments for a week, placing the blame on stinky duellists.

“We have had issues with people mistreating the restrooms and multiple bad reviews because of poor hygiene. As a reminder, we encourage players to follow Konami guidelines and report anyone who does not,” its statement reads.

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Konami famously implemented official tournament rules specifically targeting player hygiene in 2019, saying that all persons attending a tournament — not just players — must be “clean and wear clean clothing,” or risk being “penalized.”

“You are expected to be clean when you enter a tournament,” the official Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament Guide says. “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.

“Persons who neglect self-care to the point that they are negatively impacting the tournament may be asked to correct the issue to continue in the event.”

Screens – Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL

At the time, this policy was welcomed among players, and Chronos Games & Gifts is similarly receiving praise from local attendees for keeping its venue stench-free.

They aren’t the only organization that’s done this; in 2025, the Nebraska Pokemon Organized Play Facebook page published a statement reminding players to keep themselves clean, as laid out in the official Play! Pokemon Tournament Rules Handbook, which also includes a section detailing requirements for player hygiene.

“Individuals are also required to maintain a socially acceptable level of hygiene during the event,” the Handbook says. “Depending on the attire or level of hygiene, the Tournament Organizer may allow for a tournament participant to change or update their personal hygiene and attire and return to the venue.

“If a participant refuses to comply with tournament staff’s requests, this is grounds for removal from the tournament and venue, and the participant must relinquish their badge to tournament staff.”

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Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.