McDonald’s is bringing back Pokemon cards for the 30th anniversary, but one country probably won’t be getting them after what fans did

Pokemon cards are coming back to McDonald’s Happy Meals in 2026. This time, the promotion will be bigger than ever because it celebrates Pokemon’s 30th anniversary. The cards will be available in February and March 2026, right around Pokemon’s actual birthday at the end of February.

According to The Gamer, a leaked list of upcoming Happy Meal promotions appeared on social media during the holidays. While no one knows where the list came from, a trusted source called PokeBeach confirmed that the Pokemon card information is real. The card designs have not been revealed yet, but they will definitely tie into the 30th anniversary celebration.

McDonald’s and Pokemon have worked together many times before to put special promotional cards in Happy Meals. These promotions happen all around the world, but they usually take place at different times in different countries. Since this promotion celebrates Pokemon’s birthday, it makes sense that McDonald’s might release the cards in multiple regions at the same time.

The 30th anniversary set could be massive

The 2025 Pokemon card promotion at McDonald’s included 15 cards with a Dragon-type theme. However, the upcoming anniversary set might have many more cards to collect. The last time McDonald’s released Pokemon cards for an anniversary celebration, there were 50 different cards available. That set included every starter Pokemon from the series, celebrating the beloved franchise’s evolution.

If the leaked schedule is accurate about Pokemon cards, the other promotions listed might also be real. The schedule shows Mario toys coming to Happy Meals around the same time The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases in theaters. There also appears to be a Sonic and Hello Kitty crossover planned for summer 2026.

A Hello Kitty crossover would not be surprising since McDonald’s already did a Hello Kitty and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles promotion in 2025. These types of unexpected team-ups have become popular with Happy Meal promotions. Some customers have even discovered clever ways to maximize McDonald’s deals during these special promotions.

McDonald’s and Pokemon have had a successful partnership for many years. However, 2025 marked the first time people worried the partnership might end. The promotion ran in Japan for the first time ever, but McDonald’s canceled it after just one day.

The cancellation happened because some people bought large amounts of Happy Meals just to get the Pokemon cards. They took the cards out and then threw the food in the street. Because of this incident, Japan will probably not get the 30th anniversary cards when they release in 2026.