Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Are Confirmed for Pokemon's 30th Anniversary Set.
Prepare your wallets!
During Japan Championships this past weekend, two 30th Celebration products were revealed and the Espeon ex and Umbreon ex cards became the new cards as the ultimate pick-up in the set. Here is the full breakdown.
The Futuristic Box ($171 USD)
First up, Japan is getting a 30th Celebration Futuristic Box on September 16th — same day as the set release — priced at 27,500 yen (roughly $171). Can’t wait to see what the market price it becomes… The box comes with two Pikachu ex Futuristic Rare promos, one day-themed and one night-themed, plus premium accessories.
Honestly? I’m not sold on the Futuristic Rares yet. I feel like I’d need to see it in person to really have a final opinion on it. The art style is a swing, and with Pikachu getting a day and night FUR (Futuristic Rare) I wouldn’t be surprised if more are to come. I personally just prefer the Special Illustration Rare style cards. That said, the packaging looks like it’s going to be a phenomenal display piece — the kind of thing you leave sealed on a shelf just to look at. 30th anniversary product tends to be built with collectors in mind, and this reads that way.
The Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Cards That Had Everyone Convinced They Were AI
Here’s the cards at the center of this story…
The Espeon ex and Umbreon ex 30th Celebration Premium Deck Set has been confirmed — two 60-card decks at 6,200 yen (~$39), each featuring a Special Illustration Rare of either Espeon ex or Umbreon ex. The decks also include Illustration Rares of Zeraora and Victini, which haven’t been fully revealed yet.
When those Espeon and Umbreon cards first surfaced online, I genuinely thought they were AI-generated. The artwork is that different than what we’ve seen before. I think it was the “30” clouds in the air that made me think they could be fake. Turns out they’re completely legitimate — and looking at them now, they’re almost certainly going to be the top chase cards of this entire set. The detail on them is next level, with many Pokémon making cameo appearances on the cards. Try and find them all. The Eeveelutions getting into the anniversary mix is only continuing to skyrocket the demand.
Will the Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Be in the Main English Set? What’s Confirmed So Far
TPCi confirmed the regular prints will be in the main 30th Celebration set. The special artwork Espeon and Umbreon are confirmed as promos in English, releasing through special boxed products alongside the set. The Futuristic Box Pikachu ex cards follow a day/night numbering pattern alongside Espeon and Umbreon, which suggests they might come out as paired “day” and “night” products.
Since we know the Espeon and Umbreon SIRs are promos in the Japanese deck box, we will have to wait and find out if they will be a promo in English or the top chase to pull in the set. Being a promo is better news than being a rare in-pack pull, but it doesn’t mean they’ll be easy to get. Promo products can disappear just as fast, especially when scalpers are watching.
The big question is what those English boxes look like — and more importantly, what it costs to get the Espeon and Umbreon promos. That announcement is going to tell us a lot about how accessible these cards will actually be for the average collector.
Pull Rate Expectations — Crown Zenith or Prismatic? Because That Changes Everything
This is where I want to be direct.
If this set pulls like Crown Zenith, we’re fine. Great, even. If it pulls like Ascended or Prismatic, we are in trouble — and I mean that from both directions. It’s not just about cracking boxes and walking away empty. It’s that when pull rates tank, singles prices go through the roof. The people who need just one card to complete something are the ones who get hit hardest.
The 30th anniversary branding is going to move product regardless. The packaging, the nostalgia factor, the card quality — it’s all going to draw in collectors who haven’t bought packs in years. That demand pressure is already baked in. If supply is tight on the premium hits on top of that, this set has the potential to get very expensive very fast on the secondary market.
Bottom Line
The Espeon and Umbreon SIRs are the real story here. The art is legitimately stunning, the Pokémon have deep fanbase support, and the promo structure for English is at least some reassurance they won’t be buried at the back of a 1-in-500-pack pull rate. But we still don’t know what those English products look like or what they’ll retail for.
The 30th Celebration is shaping up to be a significant release. Let’s just hope the pull rates treat us right.
More details coming as English product info drops.
