ThePokémon Trading Card Game’s continued push into special sets is hurting the game for both collectors and players. ThePokémon Trading Card Gameis set to kick off 2025 with thePrismatic Evolutionspecial set. Unlike regular sets like the highly anticipatedSurging Sparks expansion,Prismatic Evolutionwon’t have individually sold booster packs. Instead, fans will have the choice of purchasing special gift sets in addition to standard Elite Trainer Boxes. Based onPrismatic Evolution’s timing at the beginning of the year,it means players will likely get a second special set release in 2025.
While thePokémon Trading Card Gamehas had special sets as far back as 2012, they used to be relatively limited in size, with only 20 or 30 cards per set and an average release of maybe one per year. Since 2023,thePokémon Trading Card Gamehas released two special sets per year, with some sets having as many as 207 cards. Functionally, these sets allow thePokémon Trading Cardgame to publish more cards than ever, forcing both collectors and fans to keep spending money to keep up.
Pokémon’s Prismatic Evolution Set Explained
Prismatic Evolution Contains Cards From An Upcoming Eevee-Focused Set
The Pokémon Company has yet to officially announcePrismatic Evolution– only being revealed byPokéBeach– but its name suggests thatit will feature Tera ex versions of Eevee and its various evolutions. The Eevee-related cards will come from the JapaneseTerastal Festivalcard set, a “High Class Set.” In Japan, High Class Sets feature booster packs with more cards, guaranteed pull rates, and special god packs that only contain rare and ultra-rare cards.Prismatic Evolution’s set list will be filled out by cards released exclusively in Japan in special starter deck products.
Part of the problem is how the Pokémon Trading Card Game is distributed internationally. The Pokémon Company tends to mash multiple Japanese sets and products together to form a larger set for international distribution. Some of these sets turn out fine, like theStellar Crowncards, for example, but others end up bloated with filler cards. Occasionally, the Pokémon Company shifts the rarity of certain cards for international release, meaning that American pack openersmight wind up with a card that’s uncommon in Japan as their guaranteed rare card. So, whileTerastal Festivalis a good set for Japanese players, its international equivalent doesn’t have the same special qualities.
Why Gift Sets Are Hurting TCGs
Special Sets Are Oversaturating Pokémon TCG
There are two main problems with special sets likePrismatic Evolution. The first is that they allow thePokémon Trading Card Gameto circumnavigate their standard release cadence of four sets per year. Four sets is a good pace for a game like thePokémon TCG. It gives players several months to adjust to the metagame and gives collectors a chance to get their hands on chase cards and recover. Releasing more than four sets per year leads to an oversaturation of new cards as new sets constantly hit the market.Magic: The Gatheringreleased ten sets in 2024 alone, which meant that its sets had no time to breathe or find an audience. Even popular sets likeMTG’sBloomburrowwere seemingly overshadowed as marketing immediately turned to the next set shortly after its release.
The other major issue is how special sets are actually distributed to players. The Pokémon Company releases these sets through an abundance of special gift boxes and multi-pack products, withno option of buying individual card packs at a lower price point. Players typically have to spend a minimum of $20 to get booster packs from these sets, which feels like a money grab for fans. Players could at least opt out of special sets when they mostly featured existing cards with variant art (such asPaldean Fates). Now, these sets contain meta-relevant cards like Fezandipiti ex, a potentiallyvaluable card fromShrouded Fable, which is found in many popular tournament-winning decks.
For reference, Fezandipiti ex appeared in five of the top eight decks at the Louisville Regional tournament earlier in October 2024. It also appeared in six of the eight top decks at the Baltimore Regional tournament.
How Pokémon TCG Can Fix Its Gift Set Problem
Smaller Set List & Individual Booster Packs
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that thePokémon Trading Card Gamewill ever fully give up on special sets, because they’re too profitable and offer a unique opportunity to release cards with special themes. However, there are several options to help lighten the financial load on players and collectors. One easy solution is to release special sets with booster packs available for individual purchase. While there’s still a concern about oversaturation, at least the card game won’t prey on children by influencing them (or their parents) to buy the cards at more expensive price points. It’s a lot easier to fit special sets likePrismatic Evolutioninto the budget if they have the same price point as other card sets.
The other solution is to limit the size of special card sets to a more reasonable number.A set with 50 cards is a lot easier to collect than a set with 200 cards, especially when players are forced to buy packs four or six at a time. Smaller sets also mean better pulls, which means it’s easier to get a must-have card like Fezandipiti ex in the future.
Special sets are starting to become a problem in thePokémon Trading Card Game. While they were once a harmless distraction, they’re becoming more and more frequent. Even worse, they now contain relevant cards that force players to invest in them instead of focusing on standard releases. If The Pokémon Company doesn’t show some restraint, it could find itself in a position likeMagic: The Gathering, a profitable card game but with a frequently detached and unengaged fanbase.
