Pokemon has officially begun to tease its 30th anniversary plans for the Pokemon TCG, bringing back some of the most iconic cards from throughout the game’s history. 2026 is set to be a big year for the franchise as a whole, with the Pokemon Day broadcast bringing tons of news about the future of the series. The Pokemon Company showed off plenty of exciting updates,including new games on Nintendo Switch Online, the release of Pokemon Champions, and the long-awaited announcement of Pokemon Wind and Waves. Pokemon also gave fans of the TCG some big teasers about the year.
The beloved trading card game branch of the monster-catching franchise has already seen one major release in 2026, with more on the way. The Pokemon TCG launched its Ascended Heroes expansion in late January, debuting as the largest set in the game’s history with plenty of stunning full-art cards and a plethora of new Mega Pokemon. The card game has already confirmed Perfect Order as its next set as well, bringing the Pokemon TCG debut of Mega Zygarde. Now, The Pokemon Company is showing off a first glimpse at its plans for the 30th anniversary.
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Pokemon TCG Teases 30th Anniversary Set
- Base Set Pikachu
- Base Set Charizard
- Great Encounters Palkia
- Aquapolis Lugia
- Legends Awakened Uxie
- Triumphant Darkrai and Cresselia Legend
- Plasma Blast Genesect EX
- Sun and Moon Solgalei GX
- Sword and Shield Zacian V
- Brilliant Stars Arceus VStar
- Team Up Pikachu and Zekrom GX
- Vivid Voltage Raikou
The annual Pokemon Day presentation included a big teaser for the TCG’s 30th anniversary expansion. The trailer served as a sizzle reel of some of the most recognizable cards from throughout the Pokemon TCG‘s history, starting with the classic Base Set versions of Pikachu and Charizard. The anniversary set will bring back multiple cards highlighting past gameplay mechanics, including GX and V Pokemon alongside the unique combined Legend cards from the HeartGold & SoulSilver era. Pokemon concludes the trailer with a teaser of Mewtwo and Mew alongside the different orbs representing the game’s Energies, likely hinting at new chase cards of the classic pair. A specific release date for the set was not announced, though it was confirmed to be a simultaneous worldwide launch in 2026.
The Pokemon TCG‘s new anniversary set is expected to serve as an homage to both the Pokemon franchise’s history and the different eras of the card game. Multiple past mechanics will be brought back for the anniversary expansion, likely being included as special bonus cards players can pull from packs. The included cards also teased the return of Amazing Rare cards last seen in Sword and Shield‘s Shining Fates set, confirming the Amazing Rare version of Raikou will be part of the set. Pokemon even hints at some of the special Team Plasma bordered cards from the Black & White era, showing off Genesect EX from the Plasma Blast expansion.
Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary TCG expansion looks to take plenty of notes from the franchise’s last big celebration. The 25th anniversary brought the release of the Celebrations set, which similarly featured a multitude of Pokemon‘s most iconic cards in its Classic Collection subset. The expansion not only brought back iconic Pokemon cards like the Kanto starters, Shining Magikarp, and Dark Gyarados, but even added some older trainer cards, including Impostor Professor Oak and Here Comes Team Rocket.
Pokemon‘s grand celebration of the franchise’s 30th birthday concluded with a bang as fans got a glimpse at the next evolution of the series. After months of rumors and leaks, Pokemon officially confirmed the upcoming Pokemon Wind and Waves, scheduled to launch in 2027. The trailer showed off multiple scenic environments within the newest region and even introduced fans to Wind and Waves‘ trio of starters, allowing players to choose from Growt, Pombon, and Gecqua. Pokemon looks to be pulling out all the stops for its 30th anniversary, with big things on the horizon across the entire franchise.
