Season 3 Pokémon Champion Spotlight: Joseph

Tilted Gaming Champion Spotlight

Meet Joseph, Our Season 3 Pokémon Champion

After a season of weekly competition, Joseph finished at the top of the Tilted Gaming Pokémon leaderboard with 31 points.

Joseph, Tilted Gaming Season 3 Pokémon leaderboard champion, with Mega Excadrill
Final Place
1st
Season Points
31
Record
8W–7L

Congratulations to Joseph, winner of the Tilted Gaming Season 3 Pokémon Leaderboard! What makes his championship even more impressive is that he has only been playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game for four to five months.

“I got into Pokémon because of the way the game is played and the artwork.”

Powering Up Mega Excadrill ex

Joseph’s most-played deck during Season 3 featured Mega Excadrill ex. He chose it for its Energy acceleration, high HP and ability to deal heavy damage.

The card that helped bring the strategy together was Metang. Its Metal Maker Ability helped Joseph find and attach the Energy needed to bring Mega Excadrill ex online and maximize its damage.

“Metang was the main engine that helped the deck come online. Its Metal Maker Ability lets me find Energy to attach to my Pokémon. You need as much Energy as possible to get the most damage out of Mega Excadrill ex.”

A Win Against the Odds

Joseph’s favorite match of the season came against a Slowking deck. His opening did not go according to plan, but he found a way to recover and take the win.

“I bricked so hard but still ended up winning by using Genesect to close out the game.”

Joseph’s Advice for New Competitors

For players looking to improve or begin competing at local events, Joseph believes success starts with knowing your deck inside and out.

“Know your deck like you know your own hands. You need to know how many copies of each card are in your deck and keep track of what is still available throughout the game. With all the shuffling and searching, knowing your card counts can make a big difference.”

A Shoutout to the Competition

Joseph gave a special shoutout to Armin, who finished in second place and provided some of his toughest competition throughout the season.

“Armin gave me the hardest time whenever we were paired against each other. He finished right behind me on the leaderboard, so next season is going to be tough with him around.”
Tilted Gaming Season 3 Pokémon leaderboard Top 3: Joseph Acosta, Armin B and MillerHit9

Season 3 Pokémon podium: Joseph Acosta in first, Armin B in second and MillerHit9 in third.

Congratulations as well to Armin B, who finished second with 20 points, and MillerHit9, who secured third place with 12 points.

Ready to Defend the Title

When asked whether he plans to return and defend his championship in Season 4, Joseph left no room for doubt:

“Absolutely! As long as Tilted Gaming is hosting Pokémon in its season leaderboards, I’ll be there ready to catch ’em all!”

Join the Leaderboard

Download the Tilted Gaming App

The Tilted Gaming app is required to compete in our seasonal leaderboards. Download the app, sign in and make sure your Pokémon game account is verified before Season 4 begins.

Season 4 Is Coming

After a short one-week break, Season 4 of the Tilted Gaming leaderboards begins October 5, 2026. Watch our Discord for Season 4 changes and community polls, and follow @tilted.gaming.ca on Instagram for announcements, event coverage and winner spotlights.

Congratulations again to Joseph, our Tilted Gaming Season 3 Pokémon Champion, and thank you to everyone who competed!

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