The newest set coming to the Pokemon Trading Card Game has been hit with a significant delay, with some major Ascended Heroes products pushed back by several weeks. The beloved TCG based on the long-running monster-catching franchise already has some big plans underway to kick off the franchise’s 30th anniversary. The Pokemon TCG has multiple set releases planned for early 2026, with the company gearing up to launch Ascended Heroes, while Perfect Order is scheduled to launch in late March. Ascended Heroes, in particular, looks to be a notable expansion to start the year for the Pokemon TCG.
The upcoming Ascended Heroes is set to be not only a celebration of the past year of Pokemon, but an exciting look into the TCG’s future. The expansion will feature many popular returning mechanics from sets released in 2025, including new Stellar Tera Pokemon, Owner’s Pokemon, and a plethora of Mega Pokemon. Ascended Heroes is also introducing multiple characters who made their debut in Pokemon Legends Z-A, with popular trainers like Corbeau and Canari making their first appearance in the Pokemon TCG. However, fans have now received some disappointing news about the English release of Ascended Heroes.
Ascended Heroes Collections Are Being Delayed
- Ascended Heroes Erika/Larry Collection New Release Date: February 20
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The Pokemon Company confirmed that one of Ascended Heroes’ biggest products has been delayed in the United States and Canada. A post from the official Pokemon TCG Twitter account reveals that the Erika/Larry Collection for Ascended Heroes has been pushed back from January 30 to February 20 within the North American regions. The post does not provide any specific reasoning behind the unexpected Pokemon TCG delay, coming just days before the products were scheduled to release. The new release date now lines up the Erika and Larry Collections with the launch of the Elite Trainer Boxes for Ascended Heroes, though Tech Sticker Collections are still expected to release on January 30.
The delay of the Ascended Heroes products is also coming with a major shift for the Pokemon TCG‘s tournament scene. The Pokemon Company later revealed that the delay will also apply to the competitive legality for cards from Ascended Heroes, not becoming tournament-legal until March 6. The Pokemon TCG typically staggers the playability for its new expansions, with players needing to wait two weeks before adding the cards to their Pokemon decks. Ascended Heroes was previously scheduled to become tournament-legal on February 13, with the 2026 Europe International Championships notably confirmed to be affected by the change.
Ascended Heroes Is Set to Be a Huge Pokemon TCG Expansion
Pokemon TCG fans will now have to wait even longer for an expansion that has seen plenty of excitement ahead of its release. Ascended Heroes will be the largest Pokemon TCG set ever released, with a total of 290 different cards for players to collect across its different rarities. The staggering card count beats out popular Sword and Shield-era expansion Fusion Strike for the record, which released with 284 cards. The early reveals for Ascended Heroes have also suggested that it will be a highly coveted set among Pokemon collectors, including several sought-after cards like the SIR Mega Gengar ex and a new artwork for Pikachu ex.
The new date for Ascended Heroes’ tournament legality will also see it more directly precede a big change coming to the game. April 2026 will welcome the next “rotation” for the Pokemon TCG, with sets from Paradox Rift and earlier phasing out of the game’s Standard format. The change is set to affect a plethora of the game’s most powerful strategies, with decks like Gardevoir ex and Gholdengo ex impacted alongside major staple cards like Arven and Iono leaving. Ascended Heroes looks to be a prime set for both players and collectors when it fully launches in late February.