Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary TCG Launch Faces Major Issues

A brand new Pokémon TCG set is on the horizon, and it’s a special one, marking the franchise’s 30th anniversary. As you might expect, the excitement is palpable, and the process of snagging some vibrant cards for a children’s game should be straightforward, right? Wrong.

It’s a chaotic situation, even more so than usual.

Pre-orders kicked off this morning for the 30th Celebration set, an expansion featuring beloved characters like Pikachu, Mew, Mewtwo, Eevee, Ditto, Lucario, and many more. The set offers a variety of products, including booster packs bundled with stickers, binders, or figurines, a plethora of special foil promo cards, a highly sought-after Elite Trainer Box, and numerous other purchasing options. Notably, this set boasts an impressive 30 different Pikachu variants.

Acquiring Pokémon cards is already a challenge, even if you’re just after a standard pack. Scalping is rampant, both online and in physical stores, and The Pokémon Company seems indifferent to increasing production despite rising retail prices driven by demand. Many stores are now limiting purchases per customer, with some even breaking seals at checkout to prevent reselling. It’s disheartening for any kids who simply want to enjoy playing or collecting cards.

Naturally, the 30th anniversary set has only intensified the situation. Currently, pre-orders are exclusively available through the official Pokémon Center website, but you first have to endure a lengthy digital queue. As I write this, my wait time is 20 minutes, but that’s because I’m logging in late in the day when most items are already sold out. A friend of mine faced a staggering six-hour wait earlier this morning. Those who attempted to pre-order right when it launched encountered a technical nightmare, with many being sent back to the waiting screen, CAPTCHAs malfunctioning, connection errors, and blank pages. Reports indicate that some users experiencing repeated errors are being flagged as bots for trying multiple times and are subsequently banned from making purchases.

And scalpers are undeterred by any of this. The Elite Trainer Box, the most coveted item priced at $60 on the Pokémon Center website, is already sold out. It’s now being listed on TCGPlayer for hundreds of dollars, and it’s almost guaranteed that retailers will significantly mark up their limited stock when it becomes available. As I write, the only remaining pre-orders consist of a few bundles of booster packs—nothing too exciting. I expect those will vanish in a matter of hours. The set doesn’t officially release until September 16 (with some products arriving later), but I’m not optimistic about inventory meeting demand. This has been a consistent issue with recent sets, and the shiny anniversary theme only adds to the frenzy.

It’s certainly an interesting time to be a fan of the Pokémon TCG!