In the world of fast food, the iconic McDonald’s Happy Meal has always been a delightful treat predominantly catered to kids – that is, until the Pokémon company decides to put trading cards in the box, then all hell breaks loose. Although a few years have passed since the McDonald’s Pokémon madness, a recent leak suggests we will soon see the return of the Happy Meal frenzy.
According to PokeBeach, McDonald’s and Pokémon are teaming up again, as evident from leaked promotional trading cards. The collaboration, which reportedly began yesterday in Germany and Austria, is set to begin in the UK on August 23.
The upcoming McDonald’s 2023 Pokémon TCG Promotion will include 15 reprinted Pokémon cards from Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet’s trading card games. The only exception is Pikachu, which will come from Paldea Evolved, the second expansion of the Scarlet & Violet era.
Here is the complete collection of the featured Pokémon cards:
- Sprigatito
- Fuecoco
- Quaxly
- Cetoddle
- Cetitan
- Pikachu
- Pawmi
- Kilowattrel
- Flittle
- Sandaconda
- Klawf
- Blissey
- Tandemaus
- Cyclizar
- Kirlia
Out of the 15 cards, six will be holographic, including Pikachu, Quaxly, Cetitan, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Klawf. These will be the first ever McDonald’s Pokémon cards with foil borders. Every Happy Meal purchase comes with a booster pack containing four promo cards, one of which is holographic. Additionally, the meal includes an updated “Match & Battle” toy from last year’s design.
The last time McDonald’s Pokémon promotion blew up was in 2021, which proved to be both a financial success and a PR headache for the companies. The fervent enthusiasm of Pokémon fans led to a rush to buy Happy Meals solely for the collectible cards, with the food often discarded.
To manage the situation, many McDonald’s locations imposed a limit on the number of Happy Meals sold to a single customer. However, this restriction inadvertently created an opportunity for scalpers to resell the packs at inflated prices, sometimes reaching as high as 10 dollars.
Yo, everyone on eBay, Facebook marketplace or where ever else selling the McDonalds 25th anniversary Pokémon packs for 10 bucks are a special kind of scum.
— Ej Gumaer (@Exclusive207) February 9, 2021
Currently, there is no confirmed launch date for the US, but when it’s eventually revealed, we’ll be eager to see McDonald’s approach to ensuring that the Pokémon cards reach the intended kids rather than falling into the hands of selfish adults who will simply waste food just to get them and sell them.
