The Pokémon 30th anniversary is officially the biggest story in collectibles this year. Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan on February 27, 1996, which makes 2026 the franchise's 30th birthday — and The Pokémon Company has turned the entire year into a celebration, with re-released games, global events, and a landmark trading card expansion arriving on September 16. If you collect blind boxes rather than cards, this concerns you more than you might think: anniversary hype doesn't stay in one lane, and officially licensed Pokémon figure blind boxes are getting swept up in the same wave. Here's what's happening, why it matters for blind box collectors, and how to get a piece of the anniversary without fighting scalpers for card packs.
Why 2026 Is the Pokémon 30th Anniversary
Thirty years ago, two Game Boy cartridges introduced the world to 151 pocket monsters. The Pokémon Company revealed the official 30th anniversary logo in late 2025 and has been rolling out celebrations all year: Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were re-released digitally on Nintendo Switch on the anniversary date itself, Pokémon GO ran a dedicated 30th anniversary event packed with Generation I Pokémon in March, and official "Day Out" community events have been running globally throughout 2026. The through-line of the whole celebration is nostalgia for the originals — especially the first partner Pokémon every trainer had to choose between: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and of course Pikachu.
What's Dropping on September 16 — and Why Everyone's Scrambling
The centerpiece is the Pokémon TCG's 30th Celebration expansion, launching globally on September 16, 2026 — notably the first TCG expansion ever to release worldwide on the same day. Every card in the set is holofoil and stamped with the Pikachu-face 30th anniversary logo, and it introduces two new rarities, including a run of 30 mechanically different Pikachu cards drawn by different artists. Retailers are leaning in hard — Best Buy, for one, has been running dedicated Pokémon trade-and-play events around the anniversary. If the last few years of TCG launches are any guide, shelves will be stripped within hours and resale prices will spike by the weekend.
Why the Anniversary Is Spilling Into Blind Boxes
Here's the pattern we see every time a mega-franchise has a moment: when the headline product (cards, in this case) becomes hard or expensive to get, collectors redirect that energy into adjacent formats — and licensed figure blind boxes are the natural landing spot. They scratch the same itch: sealed packaging, a pull you can't predict, a set to complete, and a secret to chase. We wrote about this dynamic in our guide to why licensed crossovers are 2026's hottest collectibles, and the Pokémon anniversary is shaping up to be the biggest test of it yet. First partner nostalgia is the anniversary's emotional core, which is exactly why 30th-anniversary figure lines built around the original starters are moving fastest.
The Pokémon 30th Anniversary Blind Box You Can Actually Get
Funism has held an official Pokémon license since 2021, and its Pokémon Palmsize Wonders 30th Anniversary First Partner Series blind box is the anniversary set for figure collectors: palm-sized renditions of the first partner Pokémon, released for the 30th anniversary year. Each box contains 3 figures for $18.99, with a full 9-box set at $165.99. Fair warning on urgency, because this one is real: as of this writing we're down to our last handful of boxes, with a single complete set remaining.
More Licensed Blind Boxes Riding the Same Wave
If the anniversary has you in a licensed-collectibles mood, two other crossovers in stock deserve a look. POP MART's THE MONSTERS × One Piece series ($19.99 a box) puts Labubu and friends in Straw Hat crew costumes — we broke down the full lineup in our Labubu × One Piece guide. And Blokees — an official Hatsune Miku licensee — just landed its Miku Fluffy Sweet Dream Party BJD blind box ($30.99), a poseable ball-jointed take on the virtual idol with only a few boxes left.
FAQ
When is the Pokémon 30th anniversary?
The anniversary date is February 27, 2026 — 30 years after Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan — but The Pokémon Company is celebrating across all of 2026, with the flagship 30th Celebration TCG expansion arriving September 16.
Are Pokémon blind boxes official?
Some are. Funism, for example, has held an official Pokémon license since 2021, and its 30th anniversary First Partner series is a licensed product. As with any hot franchise, unlicensed knock-offs exist — buy from sellers who name the manufacturer and license.
Will Pokémon 30th anniversary items go up in value?
Anniversary-stamped, limited-run items historically hold interest well because the branding is year-specific — a 30th logo can never be reprinted casually. That said, buy what you love first; appreciation is a bonus, not a promise.
Whether you're team Charmander or team chase-the-secret, the anniversary wave is here — browse all licensed and original blind boxes in stock now at DidaPop.