Pokémon Set to Return to McDonald’s US for New 30th Anniversary Happy Meal Collab
Image by Charlotte DavisPokémon is reportedly returning to McDonald’s in the US this November for a new 30th anniversary Happy Meal collaboration featuring Pokémon TCG booster packs and additional collectible items.
Early information surrounding the promotion suggests it will run from November 5 through December 9, 2026, giving American fans just over a month to collect the new cards and accompanying Happy Meal items.
Pokémon first launched in Japan with Pokémon Red and Green in 1996 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary throughout 2026 with new games, merchandise, events, and a celebratory Pokémon TCG expansion.
The Pokémon TCG’s own anniversary celebrations recently entered full swing with the launch of “30th Celebration”, a special expansion featuring more than 150 cards, 30 different Pikachu rare cards, as well as revisiting cards from throughout the game’s history.
McDonald’s has also remained a regular partner for the Pokémon TCG, with high demand for previous exclusive cards resulting in McDonald’s Japan having to announce measures to restrict the sale of Happy Meals.
Those restrictions were put in place after scalpers purchased huge amounts of food, which was abandoned in McDonald’s restaurants or on the street after they had removed the Pokémon cards from their orders.
The upcoming 2026 collaboration is expected to follow a similar format to previous Pokémon TCG campaigns at McDonald’s in the US, with each Happy Meal including a four-card Pokémon TCG booster containing one holographic card and three non-holographic cards.
A total of 15 cards are currently expected to make up the set, including six holographic cards printed using a confetti-style holofoil treatment.
The individual Pokémon featured on the cards have not yet been revealed, although previous McDonald’s sets have largely consisted of reprints distinguished by exclusive promotional finishes or stamps.
Customers are also expected to receive a choice between a Pokémon toy and a “Pokémon Essential Handbook” alongside the card pack.
The exact toy has yet to be confirmed, although early information suggests it may be designed to display Pokémon cards rather than functioning as a conventional character figure.
Pokémon and McDonald’s have already teamed up elsewhere during the franchise’s anniversary year, with McDonald’s Japan launching a large summer campaign featuring 12 Happy Meal toys based on 30 different Pokémon, a Pokémon chicken nugget box, and five Pokémon-themed burgers.
The reported US November promotion would also echo Pokémon’s 25th anniversary celebration in 2021, when McDonald’s released a special Happy Meal set featuring every starter Pokémon from the franchise’s first eight generations alongside Pikachu.
McDonald’s and The Pokémon Company have yet to officially announce the 2026 US promotion, meaning details including the complete card list, toy design, and participating restaurant information could still change ahead of its expected November 5 launch.
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