Letter to the Community - September 15, 2026
A Letter to Remember: Pokémon’s 30th Celebration!
Trainers! The Pokémon Trading Card Game is more than just a game—it also represents a diverse community of players and fans alike, united by their passion, sportsmanship, and joy for our Pokémon partners. We wouldn’t be here without your support, so we want to thank you so much for including Pokémon TCG Live as part of your personal Pokémon journey (Is there a Farfetch’d around? Because our eyes are leeking!).
Let’s talk about all the wonderful ways you can celebrate this significant milestone within Pokémon TCG Live.
Party Like Never Before with the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Expansion
It’s time to celebrate 30 years of Pokémon TCG evolution, and this latest expansion set has tons of tantalizing treasures and secrets to discover!
Not only does Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration feature gorgeous time-spanning artwork and powerful new cards like Mew ex and Sylveon ex, but there are even more Pikachu than ever. A peppy, plucky party of Pikachu! Every booster pack includes a Pikachu rare card, with a total of 30 unique illustrations to find—one for every year Pokémon has brought joy to the world. Collect them all and get ready to have a Pika-Pika Parade of your own in one of our upcoming Trainer Trials challenges!
You’ll also have the chance to encounter (or re-encounter) some of the most iconic Pokémon TCG cards of all time in the Classic Collection subset!
Get More out of Card Collection with the Introduction of Missions
Missions have arrived alongside the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion, giving you more ways to have fun collecting cards in Pokémon TCG Live. As you collect cards and make progress towards finishing an expansion set, you’ll also complete Missions that unlock new and exciting rewards!
The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion launches with a dozen Missions ranging in difficulty from Easy to Extra Hard, so even if you aren’t going for full Master Set completion, you can still have fun with Missions that are right for you.
For more information on this new feature, check out our Missions feature announcement post, where you can also find details on how Missions will support older expansions.
Content Updates
Travel Through Time with New Front-End Music
While you’re exploring all the new Pikachu in your Card Dex, enjoy the limited-time Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration front-end theme music, which features movements inspired by the past, Pikachu, and the future of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Make sure to crank up the music before the event ends on November 5.
Earn Strong Decks and Stylish Avatar Cosmetics in the New Battle Pass
From September 15 through November 5, 2026, you can participate in the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Battle Pass!
Start your journey by receiving a powerful Mew ex deck immediately upon logging in. With Mew ex’s Memory Helix Ability, you can use the attacks of any Pokémon on your Bench! Then, make it halfway up the Ladder to earn the Sylveon ex deck. Sylveon ex’s Colorful Harmony attack does 50 damage for every Basic Energy type you have in play—if you can manage to use them all, you’ll be able to deal out a whopping 400 damage in one go! You can learn how to get started with Mew ex in the Learning Lab or visit the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Battle Pass Deck Strategies article for advanced tactics with both decks.
Whether you use these decks or build your own, the new Battle Pass is packed with exclusive rewards, including Pokémon 30 Day and Night-themed avatar cosmetics and deck accessory sets. If you make it to the end of the whole pass, you’ll even earn a Futuristic rare Mew ex illustrated by YOSHIROTTEN!
Ascend the Ranked Ladder to Unlock Prestigious Rewards
During the same period, break out your finest decks and prove you’re a true Pokémon expert to earn special Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration cosmetic items in the new Ranked Ladder. Reaching Poké League will earn an electrifying Pikachu Beanie, Great League victors will get matching Pikachu Sweatpants, and if you ascend to Ultra League, you’ll complete the set with Pikachu Slides.
For those who can reach the peak and enter Master League, you’ll earn an entire set of Master Ball deck accessories (if you haven’t been able to claim them already), as well as a Futuristic rare Mewtwo ex illustrated by YOSHIROTTEN!
Master the Power of Mew ex with Help from the Learning Lab
Everyone who logs in before November 5 will earn a complimentary Mew ex deck, but want to learn how to make the most of it? Join Professor Fir in the new Mew ex classroom to learn how to put Mew ex and its Memory Helix Ability to good use!
Build and Battle for a Special Illustration Rare Pikachu ex
From September 15 to September 24, 2026, we’re running a throwback to Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks, the expansion that featured one of the most powerful Pikachu ever to duke it out in the Pokémon TCG. If you win four total matches in a single run, you’ll earn a special illustration rare Pikachu ex from Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks. We’re also giving you plenty of chances, because the frequency of free plays for Build & Battle is increasing—with this event, you’ll get a free play every 24 hours!
After the Pikachu party settles down, keep battling with the return of Mega Evolution—Chaos Rising in Build & Battle Mode from September 24 to October 8, 2026.
Make sure to check out the Build & Battle Event Schedule for the full details about upcoming events.
Toast to the 30th with Thrilling Trainer Trials
From September 15 to October 1, 2026, practice for upcoming Pokémon TCG Championship Series Events in the Champion’s Training Ground. From October 2 to October 15, 2026, enjoy a special Pikachu Party challenge by utilizing the many Pikachu found in Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration. Then, round it out with the Worlds 2024 throwback Trainer Trial from October 16 to November 5, 2026, where you can relive both the glory and the meta game of the 2024 Pokémon World Championships.
Check out the Trainer Trials Challenge Schedule for more about upcoming Trainer Trials.
Party Hard and Spread the Joy with Fun Catchphrases
Want to share with other players how you’re celebrating 30 years of Pokémon? Don’t forget to try out some of the new catchphrases from the avatar customization menu!
Experience Future Play on the Next-Generation Battle Board
The Battle Board has leveled up into a full stadium to offer an enhanced gameplay experience! Cards are now taking center-stage, with a layout that better reflects real-life gameplay when playing in Landscape mode on desktop and tablet. We’ve also adjusted the camera and layout to improve legibility of cards. What’s more, this next-generation Battle Board arrives alongside the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion with exciting new Day and Night themes! While the celebration can’t last forever and the Day and Night themes may be temporary, our Battle Board will continue to evolve in future campaigns.
Also…can you hear that? Is that a crowd cheering on your best moves as the battle heats up? You bet it is! If you prefer to concentrate in silence, volume can easily be tailored in the settings, and visual effects can be adjusted to your personal tastes as well.
Enjoy the 30th Celebration with Pokémon TCG Live
We’re so excited to be a part of Pokémon’s 30th Celebration, and even more excited that we get to share it with you. Without our beloved Trainers all over the world, none of this would be possible. Thank you for supporting Pokémon, and as always, Train On!
The Pokémon TCG Live Development Team