Cute, convenient, collectible: Starting in November, the coveted Pokémon trading cards are returning to McDonald’s Happy Meals – just in time for the franchise's 30th anniversary.
When does the new Pokémon Happy Meal promotion start at McDonald's?
From November 5th to December 9th, 2026, each Happy Meal in the USA will include a choice of a toy or a small Pokémon handbook, plus a booster pack containing four trading cards, at least one of which is printed with a holo design. The promotion includes a total of 15 different cards, with six of them also available in a special Confetti Holofoil look.
Why is the return of Pokémon cards to McDonald's a big deal?
Those who participated in 2021 probably still vividly remember the chaos caused by the last major Pokémon promotion at McDonald's: Back then, entire cases of Happy Meals were bought just to get the promo cards – children were sometimes left empty-handed because collectors and resellers practically bought out the stores. This led to significant criticism of McDonald's on social media at the time, as the promotion's actual target audience, children, often missed out in many locations.
This exact scenario is likely to threaten again for Pokémon's 30th anniversary. It is not yet known whether McDonald's will take precautions this time, such as a limit per order. Therefore, anyone who truly wants to get the cards for their own collection or for children should prepare for a swift start on November 5th and not wait until the end of the promotion on December 9th.
The promotion is, in any case, just the kickoff for a larger anniversary year: The Pokémon Company has already announced further activities surrounding “30 Years of Pokémon,” from special products to community events. The McDonald's cooperation is therefore unlikely to be the last surprise of the anniversary year. In addition to the trading cards, the small Pokémon handbook as an alternative to the classic toy is also among the novelties of this promotion – a sign that McDonald's apparently also consciously aims to appeal to families who are less interested in the collecting aspect and more in the actual Pokémon universe.
Source: Nintendo Life
Will you be looking out for the new Pokémon cards at McDonald's in November? Tell us about your collector memories from 2021!
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