The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s 30th Celebration expansion finally has a release date: September 16, 2026.
After months of speculation and teasers since its mysterious tease during the Pokémon Presents back in February, we now know what to expect from one of the year’s most anticipated TCG sets, including a brand-new rarity to chase, stunning artist collaborations, and a guaranteed Pikachu in every pack.
Yes, that’s right – a Pikachu in every pack.
Let’s start with the new rarity. In the 30th Celebration expansion, there will be a new rarity tier called Futuristic Rare, which is only going to amp up the chase for this set. These initial cards feature Mewtwo and Mew, illustrated by none other than famed Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN! that is “evocative of hope toward an unknown future.”
Furthermore, every card in the set will be foil, including Basic Energy. Each booster pack will include six foil cards: five foil cards and one foil Basic Energy. There’s one more awesome thing inside – every pack guarantees a Pikachu card. There will be 30 unique Pikachu to collect in total, each with its own illustration by renowned artists, including OKACHEKE, Yuu Nishida, and Atsuko Nishida.
The 30th Celebration expansion will also reintroduce classic cards, such as Charizard from the base set and Zekrom GX tag team from Sun and Moon, which will return in stamped 30th Celebration logo reprints. These reprinted cards are not legal for play in the Standard format, but they can be used in formats that permit the original prints of these cards.
But it’s not just Kanto Mons feeling the love. Brand-new cards feature Espeon and Umbreon by day and night, while Lapras, Drifloon, Zorua, and Lycanroc all appear as illustration rares. Meanwhile, Greninja and Sylveon stun as brand-new Pokémon ex. Just like Celebrations in 2021, the 30th Celebration expansion will feature every Legendary Pokémon as well.
It’s a sad state of affairs that, alongside the excitement fans have for this set, there’s also concern around resellers snapping it up immediately. In what can only be described as intentional timing, The Pokémon Company International has banned partnered vendors from selling graded slabs at official tournaments like NAIC and Worlds, a policy that went into effect at the recent Indianapolis Regionals.
This ban also applies to any item over $1,000 or most products from the Japanese Pokémon Centre, including plush and TCG items. There’s also considerations that some fans may need government ID checks to purchase products. Hopefully, this keeps the third-party resale market in check before this expansion releases.
Talking of Japan, this is the first expansion ever to have a simultaneous global release. This means fans across the world can enjoy collecting the exact same new cards at the exact same time. Will it actually make it easier to get your hands on them? While local store shelves will still be a battleground, a universal release calendar means local supply won’t be choked out by international importing chaos.
But with such high demand, pre-orders are likely to sell out quickly when they go live. To boost your chances, keep an eye on retailers like Pokémon Centre, GameStop, Amazon, and Best Buy, as they typically offer online pre-orders. Sign up for stock alerts or newsletters from these sites, and be ready to act as soon as pre-orders open. Most retailers are expected to launch pre-orders within the next few weeks, though Chaos Rising broke that pattern. Joining Discord channels or following social media accounts dedicated to TCG restocks can also help you spot listings right away.
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Sara Heritage is a freelance journalist for IGN, specialising in Pokémon TCG. When she’s not gaming, you’ll probably find her building yet another LEGO set she absolutely did not need, or chaining ranked matches in Pokémon Champions.
