 |
|
| Released (English) | From September 16, 2026 |
| Released (Japan) | 2026 (simultaneous worldwide) |
| Cards | 160+ (day & night) |
| Series | Mega Evolution Series (30th-anniversary celebration set) |
| Japanese set | 30th CELEBRATION |
| New rarity | Futuristic Rare |
| Theme | 30 years of Pokémon — day & night |
| Previous expansion | Pitch Black |
| Signature cards | Mewtwo ex, Mew ex, Pikachu, Umbreon ex, Espeon ex, Sylveon ex, Greninja ex |
30th Celebration is a special anniversary expansion marking 30 years of Pokémon and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Rolling out worldwide from September 16, 2026, it sits within the Mega Evolution Series as a celebration set — a love letter to three decades of the hobby rather than a standard competitive expansion.
The set spans 160+ cards built around a striking day-and-night concept, with daytime and nighttime takes on its Pokémon, a brand-new Futuristic Rare finish, and a run of 30 unique Pikachu — one hiding in every booster pack. Fan favourites lead the way: Mewtwo ex, Mew ex and a full spread of Eeveelutions including Umbreon ex, Espeon ex and Sylveon ex.
True to a celebration release, it skips a standard booster box entirely — instead arriving as a sprawling lineup of Elite Trainer Boxes, collections, battle decks, tins and lavish Ultra-Premium Collections that runs from September right through to December.
Commemorate 30 years of joy with fan-favourite Pokémon spanning three dazzling decades! Celebrate a glittering future and a storied past alike, with treasures and secrets waiting to be discovered.
— Official Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration
30 Years of Pokémon
Thirty years ago, in 1996, a pair of Game Boy games and a modest little trading card game launched in Japan. Three decades on, Pokémon is the biggest entertainment franchise on the planet — and the TCG has grown alongside it every step of the way. 30th Celebration is a set built to look back across all of it.
A few of the milestones that got the hobby here:
- 1996 — The Pokémon Trading Card Game launches in Japan, the same year as the original video games.
- 1999 — The game reaches the West, and Wizards of the Coast’s English Base Set turns Charizard into the hobby’s most famous card.
- 2003 — The Pokémon Company takes over publishing the TCG worldwide, opening the EX era.
- 2004 — The Pokémon TCG World Championships are held for the first time.
- 2011 — The Black & White era modernises the game’s look and rules.
- 2021 — Celebrations marks 25 years by reimagining iconic cards from every era.
- 2023 — Scarlet & Violet begins, and Pokémon 151 sparks a huge nostalgia boom.
- 2025 — Mega Evolution returns to the TCG for the first time in nearly a decade.
- 2026 — 30th Celebration marks three decades of Pokémon.
30th Celebration gathers that whole history into one release — fan-favourite Pokémon from across the generations, reimagined art, and a nod to every era that built the game.
Day & Night
The set’s signature twist is right there in its two-sided design: many Pokémon appear in both a bright daytime and a moody nighttime version, and that split runs through the whole collection. Nothing captures it better than the Eeveelutions — sun-warmed Espeon by day, shadowy Umbreon by night.
30th Celebration also debuts a brand-new rarity, the Futuristic Rare — cards with vivid colour and 3D-style graphical effects that give classic Pokémon a glimpse-of-the-future look. And every booster hides one of 30 unique Pikachu, a different design in every pack, so no two openings feel quite the same.
Highlights
With the full checklist still rolling out, the early reveals already show where 30th Celebration’s heart lies: Mewtwo ex and Mew ex as the twin faces of the set, a run of Eeveelution ex — Umbreon ex, Espeon ex and Sylveon ex — and returning favourites like Greninja ex alongside the ever-present Pikachu.
Japanese Release & the Worldwide Launch
Unusually, 30th Celebration arrived simultaneously worldwide — the Japanese 30th CELEBRATION set and the English release share the same cards and the same launch. As with past anniversary sets, expect small regional differences in finish and framing between the Japanese and English printings; the 25th-anniversary Celebrations, for example, gave its Japanese Classic Collection richer golden borders than the plainer English version.
Japanese Card Gallery
The Japanese 30th CELEBRATION set in full — all 94 cards, in high resolution. The English release shares this line-up, though (as with the 25th-anniversary set) some cards differ in finish and framing between regions. Tap any card to view it full size.
Sealed Products
Instead of a standard booster box, 30th Celebration spreads across one of the biggest product lineups the hobby has seen, staggered from September to December 2026 — from a pocket-money mini tin all the way up to a $180 Ultra-Premium Collection. Tap any image to see it full size.
Ultra-Premium Collections
The flagship, in Day (Pikachu ex + Espeon ex) and Night (Pikachu ex + Umbreon ex) variants. Each packs 29 booster packs plus a special 3-card Classic Collection pack, a themed playmat, sleeves, a deck box and premium accessories. MSRP around $179.99 each.
Elite Trainer Box
Nine booster packs, an exclusive Nidorina promo, 16 foil basic Energy and the usual dice, markers, sleeves and storage. MSRP around $49.99.
Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box
The Pokémon Center exclusive — more packs than the standard ETB and two Nidorina promos (a standard version and a Pokémon Center-stamped one).
Pokémon ex Box
Four booster packs, an oversize card and a foil promo of either Sylveon ex or Greninja ex. MSRP around $21.99 (a Pokémon ex Tin with the same promos follows in December).
Espeon ex & Umbreon ex Battle Decks
Two ready-to-play 60-card all-foil decks, each with a deck box, coin, playmat and an illustration-rare promo (Victini or Zeraora). MSRP around $19.99 each.
Mewtwo & Mew Figure Collections
Two collector boxes, each with a sculpted figure, a foil promo, an oversize card and five booster packs. MSRP around $29.99 each.
Ditto Premium Collection
A colourful acrylic display, an exclusive Ditto promo and eight booster packs. MSRP around $39.99.
Poster Collection
Three booster packs, a full-size two-sided poster and the legendary-bird promos Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. MSRP around $14.99.
Tech Sticker Collection
Three booster packs, a matching sticker sheet and a foil Alolan Exeggutor or Lucario promo. MSRP around $14.99.
Knock Out Collection
Two booster packs, a commemorative coin and a foil Eevee promo. MSRP around $9.99.
Binder Collection
A 9-pocket portfolio to house the set, bundled with five booster packs. MSRP around $31.99.
Booster Bundle
Six booster packs with no extras — the simplest way to grab a handful of 30th Celebration packs. MSRP around $26.94.
Day & Night Mini Tins
Ten collectible tin varieties, each with two booster packs, a sticker sheet and an art card — the most affordable way in. MSRP around $9.99 each.
2-Pack Blister
A simple two-pack blister with a commemorative coin and a foil Eevee promo — around $9.99.
Cards Revealed So Far
The full 160+ card checklist is still being revealed. Here are the English cards confirmed so far — tap any to view it full size. We’ll expand this into a complete set list as the rest are released.
Promos
30th Celebration leans on product-exclusive promos rather than a single numbered black-star run. Among them: Nidorina (Elite Trainer Boxes), the legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres (Poster Collection), Alolan Exeggutor or Lucario (Tech Sticker Collection), Sylveon ex or Greninja ex (Pokémon ex Box and Tin), a foil Eevee (Knock Out Collection and 2-pack blisters), illustration-rare Victini and Zeraora (the Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Battle Decks), an exclusive Ditto (Ditto Premium Collection), and foil Mewtwo and Mew (the Figure Collections).
For Collectors: Cards to Watch
With the set only just arriving, prices are still settling — but a few cards are the obvious ones to watch.
Umbreon ex
Umbreon is perennially the most chased Eeveelution in the game, and as the night-side star of a day-and-night anniversary set its full-art and Futuristic Rare versions are the cards most collectors are circling.
Mew ex
Mew is the perfect mascot for a franchise anniversary — one of the twin faces of 30th Celebration and a natural centrepiece card, complete with its own Figure Collection.
Mewtwo ex
The other face of the set. Mewtwo has been a chase card since the very first Base Set, so a fresh 30th-anniversary treatment carries real nostalgic pull.
Sylveon ex
Rounds out a strong Eeveelution ex trio with Espeon and Umbreon — Eeveelution cards have driven demand for every recent special set, and this one leans right into them.
Trivia
- The set marks 30 years since Pokémon — and the Pokémon TCG — first launched in 1996.
- Its day-and-night concept gives many Pokémon two versions, epitomised by day-side Espeon and night-side Umbreon.
- It introduces a brand-new rarity, the Futuristic Rare, with vivid colour and 3D-style effects.
- There are 30 unique Pikachu to collect — one tucked into every booster pack.
- There is no standard booster box; the set sells through Elite Trainer Boxes, collections, battle decks, tins and Ultra-Premium Collections instead.
- It launched simultaneously worldwide and sits within the Mega Evolution Series as a special celebration release.
Images & Videos
The official 30th Celebration reveal, plus a full walk-through of the enormous product lineup.