Happy 30th Birthday to the Pokémon franchise! To mark three decades since our favorite little creatures from the original 151 first landed on the Game Boy, the Pokémon TCG is launching a 30th Anniversary set containing all our favorite cards of old, from Shadowless Charizard to the Pikachu & Zekrom Tag Team. Even better, we're all on the same playing field, with a worldwide simultaneous release.
The Pokémon 30th Anniversary set has a very broad release date of 2026, as announced in the recent Pokémon Presents. While there were a lot of amazing announcements in that presentation, from in-game updates for the various live-service titles, a Champions release date (finally), and the reveal of Gen 10 (Pombon is my new bestie), the Pokémon TCG didn't have a huge spotlight. But what The Pokémon Company did share has certainly got me perked up.
The colorful, fast-paced trailer goes by in a flash, and there's not a lot of detail in its one minute run, although the teaser with Mew and Mewtwo and the tagline 'the future awaits' at the end is intriguing. The Legendary Pokémon duo have a unique coloring in the trailer, so perhaps a new rarity is in store.
However, the various Pokémon on display -from Pikachu to Darkrai - transforming into classic cards, suggests this isn't purely nostalgia bait. Instead, the Pokémon Company are giving modern collectors like you and me a chance at those vintage chases that most of us haven't had before. Okay, well, I guess that's still nostalgia bait, but at least it'll be to my benefit.
What's interesting is how distinctly different the rare Pokémon cards coming back are. You've got the classic Pikachu and Shadowless Charizard, Pikachu and Zekrom Tag Team, the gorgeous Darkrai and Cresselia Legend duo, and more. This doesn't seem to be a set focused on specific eras, but rather, a bunch of classic sets from the whole history of the game that are no longer available. For those looking to have a display of nostalgic cards without paying vintage prices, this could be a great expansion.
The announcement trailer ends with a message that the set is 'releasing simultaneously worldwide in 2026', which is highly unusual. Typically, an expansion will launch in Japan under a different name before releasing in English, at least in modern sets. It's going to be an exciting day to see everyone get ripping their packs on launch, and I definitely won't be angry seeing a bunch of my chases pulled by others. I love seeing other people happy… Honest!
Pre-order timings, and even the set's official name isn't revealed yet. However, this is likely to be a special set (no booster boxes, sadly) and, considering the 30-year anniversary of the TCG itself lands in October, I'd place my bet on the set launching around that month, too.
If you're hoping to get your hands on some of the 30th Anniversary set, I'd suggest joining our Wargamer Discord. Not only can you chat with other trainers, but you'll also be kept in the loop for any pre-order articles we share, so make sure to join in on the celebrations and potentially get your hands on some packs.