The thirtieth anniversary of Pokémon is speedy drawing near on twenty seventh February 2026, and it sort of feels McDonald’s can be hanging Pokémon playing cards in its Satisfied Foods in a brand new promo very similar to previous occasions.
Consistent with a record from PokéBeach, it is going to run from February into March, with actual dates relying at the nation, however that is all of the main points recognized at the moment.
Previous occasions — for the twenty fifth anniversary, for instance — have noticed scalpers rocking as much as shops and purchasing dozens of Satisfied Foods to get the playing cards. McDonald’s in the United Kingdom put a restriction on purchasing a couple of further card along with your meal following the rush in the USA, however that looks like looking to forestall a geyser with a bathplug.
The Pokémon Corporate and Ronald have persisted, although – there used to be a Dragon-type collab previous in 2025. And again in August, a three-day Pikachu tournament in Japan used to be stopped after 24 hours when call for for the cardboard exceeded provide, with containers of unopened playing cards turning up on the market on-line. Shifty. That one used to be in particular wanted, although, as the cardboard featured unique paintings.
It is a disgrace that Pokémon playing cards simply appear to draw a manic mixture of the FOMO crowd (ask the parents at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum) and straight-up scalpers, bringing out the worst in individuals who forget about twister warnings and behave atrociously to get their fingers on recent packs.
We will see in February if TPC and McDonald’s have any artful plans to battle the issue.
