Limited-Time Pokémon Cards Accidentally Unveiled a Year Early

McDonald’s and The Pokémon Company recently announced another Happy Meal collaboration for November, complete with Pokémon toys and trading cards. But the announcement briefly featured images of the wrong card set, apparently giving fans an early glimpse of a promotion planned for 2027.

Pokémon and McDonald’s regularly release exclusive trading cards through their collaborations, drawing collectors from around the world. This time, observant fans spotted an “M27” promotional tag on the pictured cards, suggesting they belonged to next year’s campaign.

Pokémon’s 2027 Happy Meal cards may have been revealed early

The announcement was quickly updated with the correct images, but not before the apparent 2027 designs had circulated among fans. The mistakenly published image featured 15 Pokémon:

• Bulbasaur
• Rowlet
• Sprigatito
• Charmander
• Torchic
• Squirtle
• Piplup
• Pikachu
• Raichu
• Clefairy
• Slowpoke
• Marill
• Gengar
• Eevee
• Snorlax

Although McDonald’s Pokémon cards are distributed widely, demand can still overwhelm restaurants. Some collectors buy multiple Happy Meals in pursuit of a complete set, contributing to food waste, while resellers purchase large quantities in hopes of selling the cards at inflated prices.

Pokémon Centers in Japan have introduced facial recognition technology to help limit purchases, but similar measures seem unlikely for an annual McDonald’s promotion.

Source: Polygon