Pokémon cards are reportedly headed back to McDonald’s Happy Meals this holiday season, but nothing is official yet. In an exclusive posted Sunday night, PokéBeach reports that McDonald’s will run a Happy Meal x Pokémon Trading Card Game promotion in the United States from November 5 to December 9, and it ties the promotion to Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. PokéBeach says all of the details are preliminary and subject to change. Neither McDonald’s nor The Pokémon Company has announced the promotion.
What PokéBeach is reporting
Everything below comes from PokéBeach’s report:
- U.S. dates: November 5 through December 9, 2026.
- Other countries: The promotion will also reach other countries, but the dates there may be different.
- Cards: 15 cards will be available, as in past years. PokéBeach says it doesn’t know yet which cards will be featured.
- Toy or book: Customers will reportedly get to choose between a Pokémon toy and a “Pokémon Essential Handbook.” PokéBeach was told the toy may be a card display, but says that isn’t confirmed.
PokéBeach says it expects to learn more in the next few weeks.
What past McDonald’s sets looked like
PokéBeach points to how earlier U.S. promotions worked. The cards have always been reprints, included in 4-card booster packs with one holo card and three non-holo cards. The holos are printed on confetti holofoil, and a set has usually included six different holo cards. PokéBeach hasn’t reported whether this year’s packs will follow the same format.
The most recent U.S. promotion, announced by McDonald’s in January 2025, centered on Dragon-type Pokémon. Each Happy Meal came with a booster pack holding four of 15 available cards, plus a Pokémon poster and a sticker sheet. Ordering through the McDonald’s app also unlocked a one-time Pokémon TCG Pocket bonus. McDonald’s hasn’t said whether this year’s promotion will include any app or Pocket tie-in.
The Japanese Pikachu question
PokéBeach also notes that McDonald’s Japan released a Pikachu promo card with exclusive artwork last year. It sees a “slim possibility” of that card appearing in English, but points out that its release in Japan “led to mass chaos.” In its follow-up, IGN recalls that the Japanese promotion ended early after scalpers threw away uneaten food while hunting for the cards, and that the card still hasn’t been released in the U.S. PokéBeach adds that The Pokémon Company International and Creatures haven’t been releasing many alternate-art event promos lately, likely because demand is so high.
Where things stand
When RCG checked around 5 PM CT Monday, the promotion wasn’t listed on McDonald’s corporate newsroom or on Pokemon.com’s news page. IGN says McDonald’s hasn’t confirmed the promotion but is expected to announce it, along with more details, in the coming days. Kotaku says PokéBeach has “a very reliable track record,” but until McDonald’s or The Pokémon Company makes an announcement, the dates, the 15-card count and the toy-or-handbook choice are still only reported.
