Scarlet and Violet usher in new era for Pokémon TCG—and major changes are on the horizon

Following the official reveal of the Pokémon TCG’s Scarlet and Violet expansion—that showed off multiple new cards and mechanics like Terastallization—we now have a release date for the English set and a list of very important changes that will come along with Gen IX’s first cards. 

Set to release in Japan on Jan. 20 and the West on March 31, this will be the first time that The Pokémon Company and its printing partners ditch the classic yellow borders on cards outside of Japan. It will be replaced by the original silver border in an effort to better unify the game on a global level. 

In addition, Trainer cards will have their label moved to the top left and Energy will have a name featured on the top of the card alongside a new subtype tag. Expansion symbols will now be replaced by expansion codes on the bottom left of each card, adding to the idea that this is an attempt to streamline the design of Pokémon cards globally. 

There are a few changes being made to the actual product packaging of the Pokémon TCG starting with the SV series, too. Specifically, TPC is moving to account for inflation impacting material and production costs by slightly increasing the base price of standard Pokémon TCG booster packs from $3.99 to $4.49.

That price increase will be offset by additional changes in an attempt to “continue providing a positive Pokémon TCG experience and value” to fans, including a swap to include three holo cards per booster pack moving forward. 

“In an effort to continue providing a positive Pokémon TCG experience and value, each pack of Pokémon cards will now feature three guaranteed foil cards per booster—all cards with a rarity of “Rare” or higher will now be foil,” TPC said. “In addition, certain products will come with additional items. For example, the Elite Trainer Box will include an additional booster pack and full-art promo card.”

This is just the start of changes for the upcoming SV era of the Pokémon TCG. Details surrounding competitive play and the next Standard rotation will be shared soon, too.