Yu-Gi-Oh! Pro Paulie Aronson Becomes First American to World Championship
Paulie Aronson was crowned the champion after a weekend of intense competition at the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2023. Over the weekend, 28 of the best players in the world gathered in Tokyo, Japan to compete for some exclusive prizes and all the glory.
Alright guys. Well, this past weekend, I won the 2023 Yugioh TCG World Championship 🙂
— Paulie Aronson (@PaulieAronson) August 8, 2023
This was the first world championship since before covid, and the first one ever won by a US player!
I have so many things to say and so many people I want to thank. the amount of support and… pic.twitter.com/aYZHahKqJT
After 20 years of Yu-Gi-Oh championships, Aronson is the first-ever player from the United States to bring home the trophy and winning cards.
“It’s really cool. I hoped I could get here, but what are the odds? I spent so much time practicing over the past month. It’s really awesome that it paid off,” Aronson said after the win, noting that he skipped his birthday celebration to grind.
Congratulations to Paulie for winning the #YuGiOhTCG #YGOWCS2023!
— Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG (@YuGiOh_TCG) August 6, 2023
Hear from the King of Games himself after his victorious Duel! pic.twitter.com/emnMH2tKV4
Being up on the big stage was “awesome” and the stage was “insane,” Aronson said, adding that the opening ceremony had him tearing up.
Now, Aronson is planning to attend some Yu-Gi-Oh regionals, known as YCS events, around North America for the rest of 2023, including Vancouver and Indianapolis. It looks like he has no plans to slow down and is hoping to carry this momentum into the next season. He is also contemplating commentating some tournaments.
“Some people say, ‘What are you going to do now that you have reached the top, the highest point you can?’ Well, I’m going to keep playing Yu-Gi-Oh! since I have been since I was 10 in 2006 when I started playing competitively,” Aronson said.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! community congratulated Aronson on making history in the game.
The man himself, Paulie Aronson with Prize Card in hand, the first Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG/OCG World Champion from the United States! #YGOWCS2023 pic.twitter.com/d7JxnQbR9z
— Tombox (@mst_tombox) August 6, 2023
The top eight over the weekend came down to Gabriel Soussi, Jessica Robinson, Steven Santoli, Enzo Fiallos Velasco, Santiago Marin Lopez, Jeremy Mitchell, Juan Mateo Augusto Renteria Pastor, and — of course — Aronson.
The Grand Finals was against Aronson and Pastor. It immediately looked to be in Aronson’s favor when he started off his first turn with a great board setup and a handful of counter cards. But, in true Yu-Gi-Oh! Fashion, things took a fast turn. Pastor was able to stop Aronson’s Dragon Link plans with two copies of Evenly Matched. Aronson was prepared, whipping out an Effect Veiler to convincingly take the first game.
The second game was equally in Aronson’s favor thanks to a lot of counterplays that thwarted Pastor’s plans throughout. While Pastor was able to hold on for a while, Aronson ended the second game with a massive combo that had Pastor accept his fate. At this point, the American player was crowned champion in a 2-0 victory.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!