10 Most Highly Anticipated Pokémon TCG Releases For 2021

Pokémon cards are still a thing and they're still super effective against your wallet.

By Roy Raftery /

2021 is going to be a BIG year for popular culture. Godzilla is finally fighting King Kong, the Master Chief starts his fight on the Series X, and those cute little Pocket Monsters turn 25.

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February 27th is National Pokémon Day - it marks the release of Pokémon Red and Green in Japan and the start of the global phenomenon that went on to span 8 generations of gaming titles, over 20 different movies, and a merchandise empire virtually unrivaled by any of its peers. But a few months after the initial game release, in the October of 1996, the first trading cards also hit shelves and, to this day, we're still collecting, playing, and cracking packs.

The 25th anniversary is a big year for Pokémon and marks the companies busiest release schedule to date. It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned veteran or a casual collector, if you don't have your Pokédex to hand it can get downright confusing finding what's right for you. Fortunately though, that's where we come in.

10. McDonalds Promos

It was no surprise when photos of a new McDonald's Pokémon set leaked a few weeks ago. McDonald's have partnered with Pokémon many times to bring you trading cards in your, uh I mean your children's happy meals but this time the hamburger giants are adding extra seasoning to the mix.

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This time around you're guaranteed to get four cards per happy meal. Now there are lot of rumors surrounding this - whether or not they'll be in actual packs or if it's a predetermined set of cards that change every week - but one thing's for sure, there's no toy this time around, only the cards.

The set promises to be the biggest McDonalds set ever counting in at 25 cards, featuring every starter Pokémon from every generation and, of course, Pikachu. All cards will also come in the special McDonalds holofoil style and have the 25th anniversary Pikachu stamp.

Expect to find the new cards in your Happy Meals from February 9th in the United States. While there's no word on the official release for the UK and Europe, they usually randomly drop a month or so later so keep your eyes peeled.

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