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Image via The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG’s 2021 format rotation will include Team Up and beyond

It's time for a switch.
This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

Say goodbye to everything you knew about the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The Pokémon Company introduced the new format rotation for the 2021 season and beyond today.

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As with previous years, certain sets will be rotated out to maintain a healthy level of competition in the TCG series. Cards from older sets will no longer be available to play competitively.

Starting Aug. 28, the rotation will change from last year’s format to only allow cards that were released in Team Up and beyond at competitive events. This means that come 2022, we’ll likely be seeing Sun and Moon leave the competitive rotation, as well as seeing Tag Team cards fall out of favor.

The 2021 format consists of the following expansions:

  • Sun & Moon—Team Up and any expansions released afterward.
  • Black Star Promo cards numbered SM158 and up and SWSH001 and up.
  • Cards from the following products are also legal:
    • Hidden Fates (excluding all cards from the Shiny Vault subset other than Lycanroc-GX SV67/SV94)
    • Pokémon TCG: Detective Pikachu
    • Cards from McDonald’s Collections will be legal in the Standard format only if they’re functionally identical to a card that is currently legal in the Standard format. New expansions become legal for tournament play on two weeks after they are released.

The 2021 expanded format, however, will remain unchanged.


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Author
Image of Adam Newell
Adam Newell
Assigning Editor
Assigning Editor. In 2015, Adam graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a bachelor's in Media and Communications. Working in the industry for over ten years. If it has anything to do with Nintendo and Pokémon chances are you will see me talking about it, covering, and likely not sleeping while playing it.