Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration – Release Dates, Products & Everything We Know

Thirty years. Countless battles. Millions of collections. And more Pikachu cards than most of us would ever admit to owning.

In 2026, the Pokémon Trading Card Game celebrates its 30th anniversary, and The Pokémon Company is marking the occasion with Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration, a special expansion packed with nostalgia, new artwork, exclusive promos, and an enormous lineup of products arriving throughout the fall.

The celebration officially begins on September 16, 2026, with additional products scheduled for October and November.

Whether you started collecting during the Base Set era or opened your first booster pack last week, this is shaping up to be one of the biggest Pokémon TCG releases of the year.

What Is Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration?

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration is a special expansion created to commemorate three decades of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

The set brings together Pokémon and artwork celebrating the game's past and present, including illustration rare cards, a Classic Collection, and plenty of Pikachu.

And when we say plenty, we mean it.

Every 30th Celebration booster pack contains five foil cards, including one of 30 unique Pikachu illustrations, plus one foil Basic Energy card.

That means every pack gives collectors another chance to hunt down one of the anniversary Pikachu designs.

But unlike a typical Pokémon TCG release, you won't simply be looking for individual booster packs. Pokémon has announced a large range of collections, boxes, tins, decks, and premium products containing 30th Celebration packs.

Here's what's coming.

September 16, 2026 – The Celebration Begins

The first and largest launch wave arrives on September 16, 2026.

30th Celebration Tech Sticker Collection

Choose between Alolan Exeggutor or Lucario.

Each collection includes a foil promo card featuring the corresponding Pokémon, a matching tech sticker sheet, and three 30th Celebration booster packs.

It's a smaller entry point into the anniversary set—and the stickers give collectors something a little different from the usual Pokémon TCG accessories.

30th Celebration 2-Pack Blister

A straightforward way to start opening the set.

The blister includes a foil Eevee card, a Pokémon coin, and two 30th Celebration booster packs.

30th Celebration Knock Out Collection

Another compact option featuring Eevee, a Pokémon coin, and two 30th Celebration booster packs.

30th Celebration Poster Collection

This one should be especially interesting for collectors.

The Poster Collection includes foil promo cards featuring the legendary Kanto trio:

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

You'll also receive three 30th Celebration booster packs and a poster showcasing images of more than 160 cards from the anniversary expansion.

It's a great combination of cards, promos, and display-worthy Pokémon nostalgia.

30th Celebration Pokémon ex Box – Sylveon ex & Greninja ex

Players and collectors can choose between Sylveon ex or Greninja ex, with each box containing the featured Pokémon as both a foil promo card and an oversize card.

The box also includes four 30th Celebration booster packs.

30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

No major Pokémon TCG release would feel complete without an ETB.

The standard 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box contains:

• 9 30th Celebration booster packs

• Full-art Nidorina promo card

• 65 card sleeves

• 16 foil Basic Energy cards

• Damage-counter dice

• Competition-legal coin-flip die

• Pokémon coin

• Player's guide

• Collector's box with six dividers

For anyone planning to open a good number of packs while also picking up the anniversary accessories, the ETB will likely be one of the most popular products from the first wave.

Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box

The Pokémon Center exclusive version takes things a step further.

Instead of nine packs, it includes 11 30th Celebration booster packs.

It also comes with two full-art Nidorina promo cards, including an exclusive version featuring the Pokémon Center logo, alongside the accessories found in the standard ETB.

October 2, 2026 – Binder, Booster Bundle & Mini Tins

The second wave arrives just over two weeks later on October 2, 2026.

30th Celebration Binder Collection

If you're going to chase 30 Pikachu cards, you're going to need somewhere to put them.

The Binder Collection includes a commemorative 9-pocket binder designed for the Pokémon TCG's 30th anniversary, along with five 30th Celebration booster packs.

For collectors planning to build a master set, this could be one of the most practical products in the lineup.

30th Celebration Booster Bundle

No promos. No giant cards. No extra accessories.

Just packs.

The 30th Celebration Booster Bundle contains six booster packs, making it an appealing option for collectors primarily interested in opening the set.

30th Celebration Mini Tins

The Mini Tins return with 10 different artworks to collect.

Each tin contains:

• 2 30th Celebration booster packs

• Sticker sheet

• Matching art card

Collecting all ten art cards lets you combine them into two larger images themed around day and night.

October 30, 2026 – Espeon ex & Umbreon ex Battle Decks

The next release arrives on October 30 with two anniversary Battle Decks.

Collectors and players can choose between Espeon ex and Umbreon ex.

Each deck contains 60 foil cards and comes ready to play, along with a deck box, coin, and playmat.

The Espeon ex deck also features an illustration rare-style Victini, while Umbreon ex is accompanied by an illustration rare-style Zeraora.

It's a fitting day-and-night pairing—and definitely one for Eeveelution fans to watch.

November 6, 2026 – The Premium Finale

The final currently announced wave arrives on November 6, 2026, bringing some of the biggest products of the entire celebration.

30th Celebration Ditto Premium Collection

Ditto gets its own anniversary collection featuring a promo card and colorful acrylic display.

More importantly for pack hunters, the box includes eight 30th Celebration booster packs.

The acrylic display can be used to showcase the included Ditto promo or another favorite card from your collection.

30th Celebration Figure Collection – Mew & Mewtwo

Two of the most iconic Pokémon from the original generation headline the Figure Collection.

Choose Mew or Mewtwo, with each collection including:

• Foil promo card

• Oversize card

• Sculpted Pokémon figure

• 5 30th Celebration booster packs

For collectors who enjoy display pieces as much as cards, this could easily become one of the standout products of the anniversary.

30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection – Day & Night

And then there's the big one.

The 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection – Day & Night is the flagship product of the anniversary lineup.

The collection comes in themes centered around Pikachu ex with Espeon ex or Pikachu ex with Umbreon ex, along with a huge selection of anniversary accessories.

Most importantly, each UPC contains an incredible:

29 Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration booster packs

plus

1 special 30th Celebration Classic Collection booster pack containing three cards from the expansion's Classic Collection.

Add the playmat, sleeves, deck box, promos, and other accessories, and the Ultra-Premium Collection looks positioned to be one of the centerpiece products for serious 30th Celebration collectors.

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Release Schedule

Here's the calendar to remember:

September 16, 2026
Tech Sticker Collection, 2-Pack Blister, Knock Out Collection, Poster Collection, Sylveon ex & Greninja ex Boxes, Elite Trainer Box, and Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box.

October 2, 2026
Binder Collection, Booster Bundle, and Mini Tins.

October 30, 2026
Espeon ex & Umbreon ex Battle Decks.

November 6, 2026
Ditto Premium Collection, Mew & Mewtwo Figure Collections, and Ultra-Premium Collection – Day & Night.

Which 30th Celebration Products Should You Watch?

There's a lot to choose from, so it really depends on what kind of Pokémon collector you are.

If you mainly want to open packs, the Booster Bundle and Elite Trainer Box should be straightforward choices.

If you're building a 30th Celebration master set, the Binder Collection gives you storage plus five packs to get started.

Promo collectors will have plenty to chase across the Poster Collection, Tech Sticker Collections, ex Boxes, ETBs, and Figure Collections.

And for collectors looking for the biggest anniversary experience, it's difficult to ignore the Ultra-Premium Collection, with its 29 standard anniversary packs and exclusive Classic Collection booster.

Of course, there's also the challenge hiding inside every booster pack:

Can you collect all 30 Pikachu illustrations?

30 Years of Pokémon TCG

From playground trades and Base Set Charizards to illustration rares, Pokémon ex, competitive tournaments, and collections spanning thousands of cards, the Pokémon TCG has changed enormously over the last three decades.

But opening a booster pack still has that same feeling.

That's what makes 30th Celebration particularly exciting. It isn't simply another Pokémon expansion. It's a chance to look back at where the Pokémon TCG started while celebrating what collecting looks like today.

The first wave launches September 16, 2026, followed by additional releases through November 6.

And if you're planning to collect those 30 Pikachu cards, you might want to start making some binder space now.

Keep an eye on MetaGames.toys for Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration product updates, availability, and more as we get closer to release.