Pokémon TCG Prismatic Evolutions just came out and it’s as chaotic as you’d expect

Pokémon TCG Prismatic Evolutions is one of the biggest special sets in recent years, with fans counting down the days until its official launch on Jan. 17. Now that the big day has arrived, it’s been just as hectic as you’d expect.

The set has been fuelled by massive waves of hype, with plenty of people getting involved hoping to make some money off of the new cards. Prices have been skyrocketing, with the Eeveelutions already being listed online for hundreds, if not thousands, depending on the critter in question.

Based on the hype and potential chaos surrounding the set release, some stores chose to offer limited stock or even steer clear of the set altogether—including the Pokémon Center in Singapore.

The official account for the store posted on Instagram summarizing their Prismatic Evolutions plans, sharing that the special set would not be available from Jan. 17 to 19, citing safety reasons and that an in-store release date for the set was currently unavailable.

The online storefront, Pokémon Store Shopee Singapore, would be stocking Prismatic Evolutions—although, based on the comments, they appeared to sell out very quickly—but any in-person chances at grabbing the sparkly new cards were shut down by the announcement.

The response to this was mixed, with some collectors feeling let down and others praising the store for prioritizing safety.

One collector replied to the post, saying, “Applaud staff for making the call to prioritize safety over making buyers happy. Tough call in this situation, these are just overpriced paper cards that isn’t worth someone getting hurt.”

Another agreed, “For the safety of the staff too,” before comparing the inevitable swarm of buyers on release day to a horde of zombies.

Some weren’t convinced, though, questioning how this could be an effective safety method and sharing their disappointment at being unable to get Prismatic Evolutions products.

One frustrated collector vented that the whole ordeal was “So poorly managed, could have anticipated it better from past sales. Disappointing.”

Other players and collectors seemed to share this sentiment about the Prismatic Evolutions release as a whole. People shared pictures of lengthy queues or even left angry reviews on sold-out stock online, pointing to bots as the theoretical source of the problem.

A Pokémon fan shared their experiences pre-ordering Prismatic Evolutions products on X (formerly Twitter), elaborating, “I hope all scalpers suffer cause they’re ruining things for actual fans and collectors. I hope Pokémon print this set to oblivion so everyone can have access.”

Whether you’re more of a collector or a competitive player, chances are that you’ve seen some of the Prismatic Evolutions buzz already today. It’s looking like it’ll continue to be one of the biggest sets of the year, with the card prices showing no sign of slowing down any time soon.

If you’ve not managed to grab any cards yet, remember that The Pokémon Company released an official statement about a reprint for Prismatic Evolutions so you’ve got another chance to nab some of the cards for your collection.

A date for this reprint has not been confirmed yet at the time of writing, but we’ll be sure to update you once more information becomes available. For now, we’d recommend being extra cautious when buying chase cards and Prismatic Evolutions booster packs online, as prices look like they’ll continue to fluctuate over the coming weeks.