Is one of the world's best Pokémon speedrunners cheating?

A prolific Pokémon speedrunner, Werster, has been accused of falsifying world record claims. The allegation comes from another runner, Magpie, who spent hours compiling footage, data and a research paper that scrutinizes Werster’s performances. Werster competes in Pokémon Emerald’s Battle Factory and occupies a prominent position on that mode’s leaderboard.

Battle Factory hands players a random roster for seven consecutive battles and challenges them to see how far they can go; speedrunners typically submit screenshots and explanations to qualify for placement. Werster began entering the community in 2024, posting a 75-win on-camera streak while claiming a 104-win offline best.

In 2025 the largest streak stood at 259; by November of that year Werster said he had reached 147 offline, a mark that would put him third on the board, and one month later he ended a livestream with a streak of 210, a jump that surprised many in the scene.

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