Happy Meals are getting Pokemon cards again. McDonald’s is reportedly bringing Pokemon back to Happy Meals in November with a new TCG promotion celebrating the franchise’s 30th anniversary.
The two companies have a history of working together, with Happy Meals regularly featuring TCG card packs inside. The most recent limited-time promotion involving both brands happened in January 2025, and this year’s follow-up is expected to arrive in the US in November 2026.
The Date and the Set
A new McDonald’s collaboration with Pokemon is coming to the US, and it starts on November 5, according to PokeBeach, running through December 9. The deal gives diners a four-card Pokemon TCG booster pack with each Happy Meal, which holds one holo card and three non-holo cards.
The complete set will consist of a total of 15 cards, with six of them coming from McDonald’s signature confetti holofoil. It’s. Whether those cards will carry all-new artwork or simply serve as promotional reprints of existing cards remains unknown. Neither the featured Pokemon nor their numbers have been confirmed yet.
According to the site, customers can choose between a Pokemon toy and a Pokemon Essential Handbook.
Although launch dates will differ from place to place, the partnership is expected to extend beyond the United States. Neither McDonald’s nor The Pokémon Company has confirmed the promotion yet.
What the Set Includes
Collectors know the booster pack format well: four cards per meal, giving regular diners a constant supply of fresh product. The real selling point comes from the holo card included in each pack.
The holofoil cards stand as the sole confirmed visual detail, though they too are described only in broad terms. Whether the cards are new art or reprints remains unconfirmed.
The Toy and the Handbook
The toy component has long been a standard feature of the Happy Meal format. Earlier campaigns featured small figures, plushies and other merchandise packaged with the card packs. The handbook is characterized as “essential” by PokeBeach.
Customers choose one item per meal.
Neither company has confirmed the promotion. PokeBeach is reporting on it, but without an official statement, the dates, the set list and the toy options cannot be verified.
Collectors are left to wonder which cards might show up in the packs, since the featured Pokemon go unmentioned. The holofoil cards stand as the sole confirmed visual detail, though they too are described only in broad terms.
Outside the US
A large portion of the tale concerns the international rollout, with launch dates changing from region to region. That means viewers across various nations will encounter the promotion at separate points in time.
What We Don’t Know
There has been no official word from either company about the partnership. Neither McDonald’s nor The Pokemon Company has confirmed the promotion, nor have they offered any comment on the specifics.
A Look Back
Years of experience with Happy Meals containing TCG card packs has set the stage for these kinds of events. The January 2025 promotion most recently confirmed that precedent.
| Promotion | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | Past event | TCG card packs in Happy Meals |
| November 2026 | Reported | TCG card packs in Happy Meals |
The dates are set clearly: the promotion begins for the US on November 5, with December 9 marking its close. That span allows roughly six weeks for gathering, provided the promotion stays on track as planned.
Why This Matters
The franchise has been around for thirty years, and marking that milestone adds a wider cultural frame to the partnership, going well beyond a plain marketing hook.
Neither company has confirmed the promotion yet. Before McDonald’s or The Pokemon Company makes a formal statement, the dates, the lineup of items and the choices for toys all stay unconfirmed.
Past behavior between the two companies supports the accuracy of Dexerto‘s report. They have engaged in similar arrangements previously, and the pattern repeats itself here.
Source material: “McDonald’s x Pokemon reportedly returning in November for 30th anniversary,” Dexerto.
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