# Format suggestions

Pokémon Showdown's list of formats (playable game types) comes from these four places:

- Nintendo's official VGC rules
    - Examples: VGC 2020

- Nintendo's in-game matchmaking formats (Battle Stadium, Global Battle Union, etc)
    - Examples: Battle Stadium Singles

- Smogon's official formats
    - Examples: OU, Ubers, Doubles UU

- Smogon's Other Metagames formats
    - Examples: Balanced Hackmons, STABmons

Nintendo's formats can't be controlled by us, of course. Asking us to change them isn't possible, because we don't control them.

Smogon's official formats are based primarily on [their tier system][1], where legality in formats like UU, RU, NU are based on only allowing Pokémon that aren't popular in higher tiers on Showdown. Rules changes can be discussed in Smogon's [Policy Review forum][2], although it requires a Smogon badge to post in.

  [1]: https://www.smogon.com/ingame/battle/tiering-faq

  [2]: https://www.smogon.com/forums/forums/policy-review.63/

Smogon's Other Metagames formats, on the other hand, is the home for creative user-suggested formats. Rules changes for them can be freely discussed in Smogon's [Other Metagames forum][3].

  [3]: https://www.smogon.com/forums/forums/other-metagames.733/

For Random Battles, the [Gen 9 Random Battles sets thread][4] and [past gen Random Battles sets thread][5] are good places to suggest changes.

  [4]: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/scarlet-violet-random-battle-sets.3712619/

  [5]: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/past-gens-random-battle-sets.3674281/

If you have an idea for a new Other Metagames format, the guide to submit is here:

https://www.smogon.com/forums/posts/9374053/
