Chronos Games & Gifts Takes a Stance Against Poor Hygiene

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 making waves 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. The decision was made in response to issues with players mistreating the restrooms and multiple bad reviews due to poor hygiene.

As a reminder to its players, Chronos Games & Gifts encourages players to follow Konami guidelines, which were implemented in 2019. According to the official Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament Guide, 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 guide states. “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.”

Chronos Games & Gifts is not the only organization that has taken a stance against poor hygiene. In 2025, the Nebraska Pokémon Organized Play Facebook page published a statement reminding players to keep themselves clean, as laid out in the official Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook. The handbook also includes a section detailing requirements for player hygiene, stating that individuals are required to maintain a socially acceptable level of hygiene during the event.

“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,” the handbook explains. “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.”

While Chronos Games & Gifts is receiving praise from local attendees for keeping its venue stench-free, the decision has also sparked debate among the Yu-Gi-Oh community. Some players have expressed understanding for the shop’s decision, while others have criticized it as too harsh.

As the debate continues, Chronos Games & Gifts remains committed to maintaining a clean and respectful environment for its players. Whether or not the shop’s decision will set a precedent for other Yu-Gi-Oh tournament organizers remains to be seen.

• Konami guidelines require players to be clean and wear clean clothing when entering a tournament.

• Players who neglect self-care and negatively impact the tournament may be asked to correct the issue to continue in the event.

• The Nebraska Pokémon Organized Play Facebook page also published a statement reminding players to keep themselves clean in 2025.