Pokémon Celebrates 30th Anniversary with September Set Featuring Pikachu in Every Pack

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, and to celebrate this milestone, The Pokémon Company is gearing up to launch a special 30th Celebration set for the trading card game. After much anticipation, it has been officially announced that this commemorative collection will debut internationally on September 16, with additional releases planned throughout the year.

The first scoop came from an outlet that revealed the Japanese version of the anniversary set, known as the Celebration Collection, will feature six-card booster packs. Each pack will include one of 30 unique Pikachu cards, and every card will be a foil—no filler here.

The set was initially hinted at during Pokémon Day on February 27, but the announcement was somewhat vague, showcasing images of cards spanning the entire history of the trading card game, along with two eye-catching cards featuring Mew and Mewtwo. This sparked speculation about a collection of reprints of classic cards, though I had my doubts at the time. It turns out I was mistaken! According to the outlet, the set will include 30 classic cards adorned with a special “30th” stamp, and many will be upgraded to foil versions. Naturally, one of these will be a reprint of the iconic Base Set Charizard, which is sure to fetch a hefty price.

In addition to the classic cards, each pack will also contain one of the 30 Pikachu cards. There’s also a new rarity called Futuristic Rare, featuring bold neon designs. The exact number of these cards is still under wraps, but they promise to showcase Pokémon in striking artwork that embodies hope for the future.

In a notable first, this set will launch simultaneously worldwide and in Japan, breaking the usual two-to-three-month delay that often sees Japanese sets consolidated into larger collections for international release. So, collectors everywhere can expect to get their hands on these cards starting September 16.

Interestingly, the international versions will only include five cards per booster pack, while Japanese packs typically contain six. This means that while Japan gets a slight edge, five cards will feel a bit lacking for collectors elsewhere!