The Pokémon Company has revealed the 30th anniversary TCG set, complete with special Pikachu variants and reprints of iconic cards.
Pokémon’s 30th anniversary has already been celebrated with Pokémon Pokopia and re-releases of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, but for fans of the trading card game, there’s something more tantalising in store.
After it was teased during the Pokémon Day Presents in February, The Pokémon Company has revealed the new 30th Celebration trading card game set, which launches worldwide on September 19, 2026.
The set includes new ‘futuristic rare’ cards featuring Mewtwo and Mew, which have been illustrated by Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN.
Each booster pack you buy will come with at least one of 30 different Pikachu cards, which have all been illustrated by different artists. Three of these cards are shown in the trailer, by artists OKACHEKE, Yuu Nishida, and Atsoko Nishida.
Additionally, the set will include Pokémon beyond the first generation. Other confirmed cards include Umbreon, Espeon, Drifloon, Lycanroc, Zorua, Lapras, along with Sylveon and Greninja as rare ‘ex’ cards.
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Better yet, some classic cards are being reprinted as part of the 30th Celebration expansion, including the coveted shiny Charizard from the base set (with a gold finish) and Pikachu & Zekrom-GX from Sun & Moon – Team Up.
Of course, collecting Pokémon cards in 2026 has become an exhausting and expensive fight against scalpers. It’s unclear if these 30th anniversary cards will cost more than the average via the official store, with pre-orders yet to go live, but we imagine demand is going to be even higher than normal when they do go on sale.
What’s almost certain is that the cards will go for more than they’re supposed to on eBay, which many fans feel is ruining the fun of collecting and playing the game.
On the video game front, the next mainline Pokémon title is Pokémon Winds and Waves, which launches next year on the Nintendo Switch 2. The game’s setting is inspired by a tropical archipelago in Southeast Asia.
It’s probably unlikely to feature in the next Nintendo Direct, if there is one in June, and may not be shown again in public until next year.
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