Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan on 27 February 1996. The 30th anniversary fell on 27 February 2026, but The Pokémon Company is treating the whole of 2026 as the celebration rather than a single day. The campaign opened with a “What’s Your Favorite” spot during Super Bowl LX and runs through to a Trading Card Game set in September and live events later in the year.
This page tracks everything confirmed so far. It covers the franchise as a whole — for the card set specifically, the 30th Celebration set guide goes considerably deeper.
Pokémon Day 2026 and the Pokémon Presents
The anniversary Pokémon Presents aired on Pokémon Day, 27 February 2026. It was the largest of the year and carried the announcements the rest of the campaign hangs off — the tenth generation, three other games, the TCG set and the LEGO line.
Our full breakdown of the broadcast is in Pokémon Presents Feb 2026: Every Announcement & Date.
The headline: Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, the tenth-generation pair, coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027.
Video games
Four new titles were confirmed across the anniversary window, alongside two back-catalogue releases and DLC for an existing game.
Pokémon Winds & Pokémon Waves
The tenth generation, exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and launching simultaneously worldwide. An open world of windswept islands and ocean.
Pokémon Champions
A dedicated competitive battling title. Players who downloaded it early received a Dragonite.
Pokémon Pokopia
A town-building game supporting up to four players.
FireRed & LeafGreen
The Game Boy Advance versions, released digitally on the Nintendo eShop for the anniversary, with Pokémon HOME connectivity.
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Added for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members. Pokémon cannot be transferred to or from other titles.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Mega Garchomp Z debuts in the Mega Dimension DLC, with Pokémon HOME connectivity following.
We have dedicated pages for the big three: Winds & Waves (characters and screenshots, plus a guide to the Winds & Waves starters), Pokémon Champions, and Pokémon Pokopia. The Kanto remakes are covered in FireRed & LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch.
Trading Card Game
Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration releases on 16 September 2026. It is the first Pokémon TCG expansion to launch worldwide on the same day.
- Every card in the set is foil, including Basic Energy.
- Each pack holds five foil cards and one foil Basic Energy, and one of 30 unique Pikachu illustrations.
- A Classic Collection brings back 30 cards from across the game’s history.
- A new rarity, Futuristic rare, debuts in the set, illustrated by Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN.
- Greninja and Sylveon appear as new Pokémon ex.
The set has its own cluster of pages here: the full 30th Anniversary card list, the card list and gallery, the Futuristic rare gallery, the promo run, the product lineup, the buying guide and the release calendar.
30th Celebration is not the only anniversary card release. The First Partner Illustration Collections ran across 2026, with Series 1 arriving on 20 March. Every anniversary product and its price is listed in our Pokémon 30th Anniversary set price guide.
LEGO Pokémon
The first official LEGO Pokémon sets launched on Pokémon Day, 27 February 2026, after years of fan campaigning. Three sets made up the opening wave.
| Set | Name | US | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72151 | Eevee | $59.99 | £54.99 |
| 72152 | Pikachu and Poké Ball | $199.99 | £179.99 |
| 72153 | Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise | $649.99 | £579.99 |
| 40911 | Mini Pokémon Center | LEGO Insiders reward — 2,500 points | |
Later waves followed. See the full LEGO Pokémon set gallery, plus our coverage of the SMART Play sets and the LEGO Ideas fan vote that preceded the line.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s Pokémon cards are coming back for the anniversary. A Happy Meal x Pokémon TCG promotion starts in the US on 10 November 2026, after Canada (3 November) and Australia (5 November), and reaches the UK and Ireland in February 2027. Each Happy Meal includes one of 15 toys shaped like mini Happy Meal boxes and two cards from a 15-card set with seven holos, including Pikachu, Palafin and Metagross. The Pokémon Company International announced it on 29 October 2026.
In Japan, McDonald’s began its 30th anniversary Happy Meal promotion on 7 August 2026. That campaign ran 12 toys covering Pokémon from Generations 1 to 9, including the first five starter trios.
- 7–13 August: the first six toys, including Pikachu’s Monster Ball Roller.
- 14–20 August: the second six, including the Eevee roller and a Snorlax card-case keychain.
- From 21 August: both subsets available together.
- Most toys include a “Pokémon Panel” — a holographic illustration on one side, the Pokédex number on the other.
No promo card in Japan. The Japanese campaign included no trading card. For the first three days, McDonald’s Japan also capped purchases at six Happy Meals per group and paused third-party delivery.
More on the November cards in McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meal cards 2026: all 15 cards and dates.
The 30th anniversary logos
One of the more unusual pieces of the campaign: The Pokémon Company produced a version of the anniversary mark for individual Pokémon, letting fans claim the one matching their favourite.
We archived them. The 30th logo archive holds 1,247 logos in one browsable gallery, and the background is in our article on the release.
Events and the World Championships
Two new live formats were announced for the anniversary year, alongside the usual competitive calendar.
Pokémon Day Out
A family-friendly immersive experience. Locations and tickets are handled on the official 30th anniversary site.
Pokémon Night Out
A music event built around the Pokémon world, aimed at longtime fans.
World Championships
Held at the Chase Center in San Francisco with over 3,000 competitors across TCG, video games, GO and UNITE.
PokémonXP
A fan event at the Moscone Center running alongside Worlds — exhibits, pin trading, cosplay, workshops and a Pokémon Center store.
Every Worlds venue and winner is listed on our World Championships page.
Mobile and live games
Every live Pokémon title ran anniversary content. The highlights:
| Title | Anniversary content |
|---|---|
| Pokémon GO | Kalos Tour global event, 28 February – 1 March 2026, followed by Kanto-themed and multi-Pokémon events into March. |
| Pokémon TCG Pocket | Pokémon Day event window from 27 February to 26 June 2026, with 30-year celebration accessories. |
| Pokémon UNITE | Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres added as playable characters. Zapdos arrived on 27 February. |
| Pokémon Masters EX | A double celebration for the franchise’s 30 years and the game’s 6.5, with three new sync pairs and a 3,000-gem login bonus. |
| Pokémon Sleep | A Mew Research campaign. |
| Pokémon Café ReMix | Kanto Pokémon added from 28 February 2026. |
We track two of these continuously: the Pokémon GO news hub and the Pokémon Sleep hub.
Merchandise
The Pokémon Center opened a dedicated 30th Collection in February 2026, covering apparel, TCG accessories and home items across the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
The standout single item announced at the Presents was the Game Boy Jukebox, a Pokémon Center release holding 45 cartridges of music and sound effects from Pokémon Red and Blue.
Sealed Pokémon products going back to 1999 are catalogued on our physical product archive.
Full 2026 timeline
Every confirmed anniversary date in order.
Super Bowl LX
The “What’s Your Favorite” spot opens the campaign.
Pokémon Day — 30 years
The anniversary Pokémon Presents. Winds & Waves revealed. LEGO Pokémon launches. FireRed & LeafGreen released digitally.
Pokémon Pokopia
The town-building title releases.
First Partner Illustration Collection — Series 1
Kanto, Sinnoh and Alola first partners.
Pokémon Champions
The competitive battling title releases on Nintendo Switch.
McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal
12 anniversary toys across two waves.
World Championships & PokémonXP
Chase Center and Moscone Center, San Francisco.
Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration
The first worldwide simultaneous TCG launch.
McDonald’s Happy Meal cards (US)
A 15-card TCG set with mini Happy Meal box toys, reported to run until 14 December.
Pokémon Winds & Pokémon Waves
Generation ten arrives on Nintendo Switch 2.
