The rumors are true. Pokémon cards will return to McDonald's Happy Meals once again in 2026, and it sounds like the next installment in this long-running tradition will be even bigger than anything that came before it, as it will be part of Pokémon. 30th anniversary celebration event.
A list of upcoming Happy Meal crossovers has been making the rounds on social media over the holidays. The source is unclear, but reliable leaker PokeBeach has confirmed that at least the section about Pokémon cards is accurate.
Pokemon cards will reportedly soon return to McDonald's Happy Meals.
PokeBeach has confirmed that Pokémon cards will be returning to Happy Meals. Throughout February and MarchAnd although the card design has not yet been revealed, it is said to be a 30th anniversary partnership. This is a very significant event as Pokémon's 30th birthday is at the end of February, so you can commemorate the occasion by purchasing a promo card from McDonald's.
It's worth noting that while McDonald's Pokemon Card promotions run globally, they typically occur in different locations and at different times throughout the year. There's no confirmation exactly where the cards will release in February and March, but since this is the series anniversary, it would make sense to release the cards in as many regions as possible simultaneously.
The 2025 crossover between Pokemon and McDonald's includes 15 cards, with the primary theme being the dragon type. But the next promotion may give you even more cards to collect. The last time Pokemon cards were included in Happy Meals to celebrate the anniversary, there were 50 cards to collect, including all the starter Pokemon.
You can also get Mario Galaxy toys by checking your Pokemon card.
Since the Pokémon TCG portion of the leaked Happy Meal itinerary is accurate, this could mean that other stops on McDonald's 2026 crossover tour are in order as well. This roundup also includes Mario toys that will be released to coincide with the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, as well as what appears to be a Sonic x Hello Kitty crossover coming in the summer.
Even though crossovers between McDonald's and Pokemon have been big business for years, this was the first time there were concerns that another team-up between the two might not happen. The promotion first ran in Japan and was canceled after one day after so-called Pokemon fans bought Happy Meals in bulk, removed their cards and threw the food on the streets. That being said, I wouldn't expect an anniversary card to appear in Japan.
- original release date
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October 20, 1996
- number of players
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2
- Age Recommendations
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6+
- length per game
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variable
- franchise name
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pokemon
