On 27 February 1996, Pocket Monsters Red and Green came out in Japan. A few months later, on 20 October 1996, the first expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game reached Japanese shops. Thirty years on, The Pokémon Company is celebrating the anniversary with a dedicated product line, and for the first time the main set came out on the same day worldwide.
The 30th Celebration set (M6a)
30th Celebration was released on 16 September 2026 under the code M6a, as part of the MEGA series. It is a special set, unlike the regular expansions:
- Every card is holographic. Each pack contains 6 cards, all with a foil finish.
- A Pikachu in every pack. The set includes 30 different Pikachu drawn by 30 different illustrators, and every pack guarantees one.
- A special Basic Energy in every pack, with a design created for the anniversary.
- Classic Collection. 30 historic cards return in a special version, including Pikachu and Charizard from the first 1996 set. They are meant for collecting and are not legal in the Standard format.
The set has 176 cards in total. In Japan a pack costs 360 yen, and a box holds 20 packs.
The new Futuristic rarity
This set introduces a brand-new rarity, the Futuristic Rare (FUR). The first cards are Mew ex and Mewtwo ex, illustrated by Japanese graphic artist YOSHIROTTEN in a style far from the game's traditional look. They are the most sought-after cards in the set.
The other anniversary products
- 30th Celebration Futuristic Box — the anniversary collector's box, released on 16 September and sold in Japan through the official Pokémon Center Online store.
- Premium Deck Set Espeon ex and Umbreon ex — two ready-to-play decks built around the two most popular Eevee evolutions, released on the same day.
- Starter card sets — nine sets, one per generation, with the three starter Pokémon: from Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle to the Paldea starters. They come out in Japan on 16 October 2026.
Why choose the Japanese edition
This time the Japanese and international editions came out on the same day, so getting it early is not the reason. What remains is the print quality and the 20-pack box format, plus the fact that the collector market follows the Japanese editions of celebration sets closely. Remember that Japanese cards are not legal in official European tournaments.
All the 30th anniversary products on Collectown are sealed Japanese originals. If you are looking for something you can't see in the catalogue, write to us: we source products on request.
