Pokemon’s 30th Anniversary Set has been Revealed!
30th Celebration drops September 16 worldwide — all foil, new rarity, 30 Pikachus, and classic cards returning.
Thirty years is a long run for any collectible game. The Pokémon TCG started in Japan in October 1996. As of today, The Pokémon Company has officially pulled the curtain on how they plan to mark the occasion.
A look at the new illustration style across the 30th Celebration set — spanning multiple eras of Pokémon art
The set is called Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration. It releases worldwide on September 16, 2026 — a Wednesday, which is a deliberate callback to Japan's 20th Anniversary set that landed on the exact same date in 2016. The English-language release is expected September 18. This is the first time in TCG history that a set launches simultaneously across all major markets on the same day.
What's actually in the packs
Every card in 30th Celebration is foil — including Basic Energy. That's not a pull rate thing, that's every card in the set. Packs contain 6 cards instead of the standard 5, and every pack is guaranteed to include one of 30 different holographic Pikachu cards, each illustrated by a different artist. That alone is a significant design commitment.
Three of the 30 unique Pikachu cards — each with distinct artwork, one guaranteed per booster pack
The set introduces a brand-new card rarity called Futuristic rare. These are illustrated by Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN and depict Pokémon in striking forward-looking artwork. The headliners shown so far are Mewtwo ex and Mew ex — both teased back in February's Pokémon Presents with an opalescent sheen. The Futuristic rare treatment is visually distinct from anything currently in the game.
Mew ex and Mewtwo ex — the flagship Futuristic rare cards illustrated by YOSHIROTTEN
Classic cards are back
Like the 2021 Celebrations set, 30th Celebration will include 30 reprinted classic cards spanning the TCG's lifetime. These are cards that haven't been in print for years — in some cases, decades. As reprints they won't carry the same secondary market value as the originals, but they'll be foil, they'll be new to a lot of collectors, and they'll be highly sought anyway.
From The Pokémon Company
"Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration marks the first-ever expansion to debut with a simultaneously coordinated global launch in participating markets."
New illustration cards in the set depict Pokémon across different times of day and night — and the confirmed roster includes every single Legendary Pokémon, mirroring what Celebrations did in 2021. Illustration Rare cards confirmed so far include Espeon & Umbreon, Lapras, Hisuian Zorua, Lycanroc, and Drifloon.
