The last few years have been fantastic for fans who have grown up with Pokémon. Fans have been treated to the nostalgia-fuelled brilliance of the 151 set, along with the return of Owner’s Pokémon and Mega Pokémon, amongst other returning card types. Now, three decades of Pokémon is being celebrated with the release of the 30th Celebration set. Let’s take a look at the cards revealed so far!
Pokémon: 30th Celebration Main Set Card Gallery
The main set of cards in Pokémon: 30th Celebration has 128 cards. All cards are set apart from their original printings with a Pikachu 30 stamp in the bottom right of the illustration. Here’s what we’ve seen so far:
Pokémon: 30th Celebration Pikachu Card Gallery
The Pokémon: 30th Celebration booster packs will also contain 1 of 30 foil Pikachu cards, each one featuring an illustration by a different artist. Though they’re numbered to fit in with the above main set, they also have their own XX/30 Pikachu numbering, so we’ve separated them out into their own gallery. Let’s take a look at the Pikachu cards revealed so far:
Pokémon 30th Celebration Secret Rare Card Gallery
Though the card numbers state that there are 128 cards in the 30th Celebration set, just like any other Pokémon set it has Secret Rare cards, numbered above the designated number of cards in the set. These are alternate art, special variants of other cards which don’t have the standard Pokémon card border and art box. Let’s take a look at the Secret Rare cards revealed so far:
Pokémon: 30th Celebration Classic Collection Card Gallery
Finally, there’s also the Classic Collection. This set of 30 cards reprint hugely popular, fan favorite cards from across the three decade history of Pokémon, all with a special foil treatment. Unusually, the card numbers which are seen in the bottom left of each card don’t reflect the number of cards in the 30th Celebration set. You’ll notice that they’re all completely different! Let’s take a look at which cards have been revealed so far, for this subset:
Which New Cards Will Be in Pokémon: 30th Celebration?
An all-new card rarity is debuting in Pokémon: 30th Celebration. Known as Futuristic Rare cards, each will feature new visuals by the Japanese artist YOSHIRITTEN. Two examples of these cards are shown above and two are below. According to The Pokémon Company, is that each of them will show Pokémon in art that evokes “hope toward an unknown future”. They appear in day and night variations, as you can also see from the images here.
The Japanese Future Rare Pikachu cards above are from the 30th Celebration Futuristic Box, which we’ve shown below. Given the simultaneous worldwide release of the set and its packs, we should see this released in English too!
It will also contain a variety of exclusive, premium accessories alongside the two Pikachu cards. It’ll likely be priced similarly to the Ultra Premium Collection boxes which release alongside some sets in the West.
We’ve also seen the Espeon ex and Umbreon ex promos, shown above. These will be included in a special Espeon ex and Umbreon ex deck set, which will also feature Zeraora and Victini Promo cards.
When Will Pokémon 30th Celebration Be Released?
Excitingly, Pokémon: 30th Celebration is aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release on the 16th of September, 2026. This is the very first time that a Pokémon set will have a co-ordinated worldwide launch, in the game’s entire three decade history. Each Pokémon: 30th Celebration booster pack will feature 5 cards, which seems low. However, do bear in mind that these are all foil cards and are likely to become highly collectible!
We’ll continue to update this list as more cards and details are revealed. In the meantime, check out our other Pokémon articles, such as our look at the most valuable cards by Pokémon co-creator, Ken Sugimori. If you want to get into Pokémon with your kids, check out our comprehensive parent’s guide to Pokémon.
