When it comes to famous Pokemon players in the professional scene, you don't get much more famous than Wolfe Glicke. Over the years, Glicke has managed to gain millions of YouTube subscribers for his efforts in Pokémon tournaments, becoming the first player ever to win a regional, national, international and world championship, and recently becoming the first player to win 10 regional championships. He is a serial winner in the competitive Pokemon scene.
However, Glicke appears to be taking a step back from the limelight. In his latest video on his YouTube channel, titled “Moving Forward,” Glicke announced that he is taking a temporary hiatus from participating in Pokémon tournaments for approximately four months.
Pokemon Champion Wolfe Glick withdraws from In-Person tournaments
In his video, Glicke emphasizes that there are many reasons why he is leaving for now, and that his decision was not made because of a single factor. He then addresses some of these reasons, revealing that he was sexually assaulted at several tournaments by fans, as Glicke claims he was groped on numerous occasions while posing for photos.
In addition, Glicke explains that he is also caught non-sexually by fans without his consent, violating his own personal space and aggravating a neck injury he has been dealing with for some time. Glicke goes on to say that stress and anxiety are two key reasons why he is now stopping his personal appearances, explaining that because of how large Pokémon tournaments have grown over the years, he is unable to find suitable places to rest and de-stress during events.
This stress then follows Glick back home. He explains that he usually needs a week or so to leave the house and feel normal again, and that he won't be making his usual Pokémon Worlds video because he doesn't want to relive the stressful experiences he had to endure.
Finally, Glicke explains that he is scaling back his online presence quite a bit, leaving social media and reducing his live broadcast time. This is mainly due to what Glicke sees as parasocial relationships between himself and fans, as he reveals that he is often tagged in sexual and inappropriate comments that make him feel uncomfortable, on top of the general stress of being active on social media.
Glicke isn't very sure about his personal participation, as it seems like he wants to take a break rather than fully retire, but he mentions that he probably won't be able to qualify for the next Pokémon World Championships because of the break he's taking. If Glicke gets the rest he needs and things take a turn for the better, a lot of them will start attending tournaments again, but right now don't expect to see many tournament appearances or videos from him for a while.
