The Pokemon Trading Card Game is rumored to be bringing back one of its most popular promotions to celebrate the 30th anniversary, with card packs returning to McDonald's. The beloved trading card game based on the monster-catching franchise has seen a banner year in 2025, with plenty of popular expansions released. Prismatic Evolutions kicked off the year as one of the most coveted Pokemon TCG sets of the modern era, while sets like Journey Together and Mega Evolution would bring back popular past mechanics. The Pokemon Company is also expected to be gearing up for a major celebration soon.
The Pokemon franchise will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026, with the multimedia empire expected to go all out for the festivities. Pokemon recently welcomed the release of its newest game, with Pokemon Legends: Z-A launching in October and already receiving a DLC expansion with Mega Dimension. The Pokemon franchise may also share the first details about the tenth generation in 2026, with rumors already beginning to swirl around the new games. Now, Pokemon cards will reportedly be coming back to McDonald's to kick off the anniversary celebration.
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A Pokemon TCG Promo Pack May Be Available at McDonald's in February 2026
A newly leaked listing of McDonald's Happy Meal toys for 2026 is hinting at the launch of a new Pokemon TCG promo pack. The leak does not provide many details about which Pokemon the McDonald's promotion will feature, though it will likely follow previous promotions as a small expansion. The schedule suggests that the Pokemon event will begin sometime in February, planned to align with the annual Pokemon Day celebration on February 27. Neither The Pokemon Company nor McDonald's has officially confirmed any further details about the 30th anniversary Pokemon TCG promotion. Pokemon's most recent McDonald's promotion ran as a Japan-exclusive during the summer, including a special alt art Pikachu that was a particular target for scalpers.
The newest McDonald's Pokemon packs will likely be under significant scrutiny from fans, based on previous events. The Pokemon TCG promotions at McDonald's have seen a significant amount of controversy in recent years, with the TCG boom leading many scalpers to target the special packs. McDonald's even took increased measures to counteract scalpers targeting the previously-mentioned Japanese promotion, with McDonald's limiting customers to only three Happy Meals per group. The fast-food juggernaut will likely implement similar anti-scalping measures with the anniversary promotion, with the special cards likely to be a big draw for collectors.
Pokemon is Gearing Up for a Big 30th Anniversary
With Pokemon's 30th anniversary on the horizon, the franchise is already giving fans their first teaser about what's to come in the new year. The Pokemon TCG will kick off the year with a brand-new set in its first month, debuting Ascended Heroes as a special expansion on January 20. The Pokemon Company has already started to tease some of the cards featured in the set, including the Mega Evolutions of each Pokemon Legends: Z-A starter and Mega Dragonite's Pokemon TCG debut. The Japanese version of the game has even already revealed the next set after Ascended Heroes, with "Nihil Zero" adding Mega Zygarde to the TCG.
Pokemon's upcoming 30th anniversary celebration should give fans lots to look forward to from the TCG. The upcoming Ascended Heroes expansion already looks to have a powerful card set to make a big splash, with Mega Feraligatr ex able to one-hit KO any Pokemon. The Pokemon Company has also made major efforts to shore up recent shortages with the Pokemon TCG, with the company pushing reprints for many of its Scarlet and Violet-era sets. Pokemon looks to be pulling out all the stops for the franchise's 30th anniversary and fans should be on the lookout for big things to come in 2026.
- Franchise
- Pokemon
- Original Release Date
- October 20, 1996
Source: TCGTracker on Twitter