The Pokemon Trading Card Game may be bringing back a fan-favorite product to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, featuring a new version of the “First Partner Pack.” With the beloved monster-catching franchise gearing up to celebrate 30 years since its original debut in 1996, The Pokemon Company looks to be pulling out all the stops. Leaks have begun to tease more details about the next generation of Pokemon video games, while the Pokemon TCG has already introduced its first new set of 2026 with Ascended Heroes. However, the trading card game branch of the beloved series will likely have lots more in store.
Pokemon fans waiting for the 30th anniversary only need to look back a few years to see how the franchise celebrated 25 years of Pokemon. Pokemon‘s 25th anniversary logo was plastered all over new releases throughout the festivities, with the trading card game launching the full Celebrations expansion as part of the event. Celebrations was packed with both new cards and a wide variety of older reprints, with its Classic Collection sub-set reprinting new anniversary versions of some of the Pokemon TCG‘s most iconic cards. Now, with Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary on the way, the Pokemon TCG is once again gearing up to launch a nostalgic new product.
Pokemon TCG Anniversary Product May Feature Classic Pokemon
Recent rumors from the Pokemon Trading Card Game have teased a brand new “First Partner Booster Pack Collection” to arrive in 2026. Early leaks about the product do not provide much detailed information about the First Partner set beyond its expected release date, said to launch sometime around March 2026. While details about the packs are scarce, the First Partner terminology likely suggests some special promos or reprints of the franchise’s Starter Pokemon. Pokemon previously released a similar “First Partner Pack” during 2021, featuring jumbo reprints of the first printing of each generation’s Starter Pokemon.
The First Partner Packs, launched as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary, were a popular product among fans, not only for the promos but the packs within. The special collection featured eight different variants based on the regional Starter Pokemon trios, also including two Sword and Shield era packs. The First Partner Packs were particularly notable for one of the included booster packs as well, with many featuring the elusive and expensive Evolving Skies set. A new spin on the first Partner Packs would not only give The Pokemon Company the chance to bring back the jumbo Starter Pokemon cards, but also include Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s trio as well.
What Could Pokemon’s New First Partner Packs Look Like?
The rumored First Partner Packs, similar to their previous iterations, could potentially include some of the most highly sought-after recent Pokemon packs. 2025 has seen numerous high-profile releases hit the TCG throughout the year, including massively popular expansions like Prismatic Evolutions, Destined Rivals, and Phantasmal Flames, among others. The Pokemon TCG also experimented with one of its first “dual release” sets, with The Pokemon Company debuting both Black Bolt and White Flare in July. Pokemon even kicked off the game’s newest era in September, bringing a fan-favorite mechanic back to the game.
Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary celebrations will arrive just after the Pokemon Trading Card Game officially ushered in a brand-new era for the game. The release of Mega Evolution on September 26 welcomed the beginning of a new series of expansions, bringing Mega Pokemon back to the card game for the first time since 2016. The TCG also introduced a brand-new rarity for Pokemon collectors in Mega Evolution, adding a pair of stunning gold Mega Hyper Rare versions of Mega Gardevoir ex and Mega Lucario ex. Pokemon‘s upcoming anniversary festivities should be an exciting time for fans of the franchise, with the Pokemon TCG likely having plenty in store.
Source: PokeBeach
