Fans of the Pokémon series, as well as the Pokemon Trading Card Game are always on the lookout for new collaborations, and now McDonalds is giving them something to look forward to.
According to the website PokeBeach, McDonald’s will run a new Pokémon TCG Happy Meal collaboration featuring 15 new collectible cards and six holographic cards printed on confetti holofoil. Each Happy Meal—which will apparently come in a Pikachu-shaped box—will contain a Promo Pack with three standard cards and one holographic. The promo will run in the United States from November 5th, 2026 until December 9th, 2026.
Pokebeach also stated that, “In the past, the cards have always been reprints,” and they don’t know which cards will be featured yet. They also stated that, “This year, customers will have the choice between a Pokémon toy or a ‘Pokémon Essential Handbook.’ We’re told the toy may be a card display, but this isn’t confirmed yet. Apparently, a special McDonald’s Pikachu card was released in Japan last year, and the website speculates that it could be arriving in this new pack.
These exclusive Pokémon TCG collaborations have caused some controversy in the past, with many criticizing the event meant for children being made unavailable (or even dangerous) by adults. In September, the Twitter account “PokeStreetz” shared video of scalpers rushing Target and even getting into physical altercations at the release of the Pokémon TCG 30th Anniversary collection.
Thankfully, The Pokémon Company has made card collection a lot more accessible to those who don’t have the means to possess physical cards. While Pokémon TCG Pocket offers users a more unique experience of digital trading card collection, Pokémon TCG Live offers players a more authentic experience—allowing users to scan and play with physical cards, as well as collecting them in app.
