2026 Release Calendar
Mega Evolution Era — Set Timeline
2026 is defined by the Mega Evolution block — four sets each 2–3 months apart — capped by the 30th Celebration anniversary set landing September 16.
✓
Jan 30, 2026
Ascended Heroes
✓ Released
Mega Gengar ex, Mega Dragonite ex, Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex headline. Multiple SIR + Mega Attack Rare chase cards. (Note: Mega Lucario/Gardevoir SIRs are in the base Mega Evolution set, not here.)
ETB Secondary Market~$118
✓
Mar 27, 2026
Perfect Order
✓ Released
Mega Zygarde ex headlines. Weaker chase pool than surrounding sets.
Booster Box Secondary~$150
🔥
May 22, 2026
Chaos Rising
🔥 Hottest Set
Mega Greninja ex SIR is the year's top chase. 2026's biggest Pokémon release so far.
Booster Box Secondary~$307
✓
Jul 17, 2026
Pitch Black
✓ Released
Mega Darkrai ex SIR ~$455 raw and falling; the gold Mega Hyper Rare #120 trades ABOVE it at ~$996. Full live guide on the set page.
Darkrai SIR (live)~$455 ▼
★
Sep 16, 2026
Anniversary
Confirmed: 160+ cards, every card holofoil, 30 Pikachu variants (one per pack), and a Classic Collection subset reprinting Base Set icons incl. Charizard. Products stagger Sep 16 → Dec 4. Full preorder guide →
🔥 Hot Cards — 2026
Top Chase Cards — Chaos Rising & Ascended Heroes
Sold ranges last verified June 29, 2026 — Greninja, Mewtwo, Lucario and Darkrai re-checked Aug 2026 against the graded ledger (ask-side reads labeled as asks). The Live Ask column refreshes on every page load via our eBay API feed — active asking prices, not solds; read asks as the ceiling of the negotiation.
Set Guides
2026 Sets — Full Breakdown
🔥 Hottest Set · ME04 · Released May 22, 2026
Chaos Rising
Booster Box (eBay sold)
~$307
ETB secondary: ~$113–$120
Top Chase
Mega Greninja ex
SIR Price
$210–$240
SIR Pull Rate
~1:1,000
Hyper Rare Rate
~1:1,786
Total Cards
122
Packs/Box
36
The set that opened the Mega era — now deep in the supply-glut correction. Greninja is consistently a top-3 most popular Pokémon globally, but the tape runs the other way: the SIR Mega Greninja ex has bled to $210–$240 sold (PriceCharting re-check Aug 10: raw $212, PSA 10 $650) from a ~$487 July level — our own BUY there is graded WRONG on the Track Record. The Hyper Rare Gold ($330–$485), Cinccino (~$109) and the Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja IR triptych (~$80) are June reads in a bleeding market — assume lower and verify solds before paying.
The Pokemon Center-exclusive ETB (11 packs + stamped Greninja promo) sold out immediately and is now $180–$200 secondary. Sealed booster boxes at ~$307 — buying singles directly is almost certainly better math than cracking boxes at those prices.
The Pokemon Center-exclusive ETB (11 packs + stamped Greninja promo) sold out immediately and is now $180–$200 secondary. Sealed booster boxes at ~$307 — buying singles directly is almost certainly better math than cracking boxes at those prices.
Verdict: Buy singles. Boxes at $307 make singles the better EV play on Greninja.
🎴 ME01 · Released Jan 30, 2026
Ascended Heroes
ETB Secondary (eBay sold)
~$118
MSRP $49.99 → +136% premium
T.R.'s Mewtwo ex SIR
~$354 ask
Mega Gengar ex SIR
~$1,300
ETB Secondary
~$118
PC ETB Sale
$314
Ascended Heroes launched the Mega Evolution era and remains one of the most valuable sets in the block on a per-card basis. Multiple chase cards — Mega Gengar ex SIR (~$1,300), Mega Dragonite ex SIR (~$875), and Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex SIR (~$280–$380) — anchor the set, joined by the new Mega Attack Rare tier. The standard ETB at ~$118 secondary represents a +136% markup over MSRP.
Verdict: Buy singles, not sealed. The ETB math strongly favors targeting specific cards on eBay over cracking product at secondary prices.
✓ ME05 · Released July 17, 2026
Pitch Black
Darkrai SIR · Live vs Sold
~$249 ▼
PriceCharting solds, Aug 2026 · MHR #120 ~$185
Released July 17 — and the set became the sharpest lesson of the Mega-era glut: the Mega Darkrai ex SIR printed a $685 pre-release peak, then bled to ~$249 sold — our $550–$750 projection is graded MISS HIGH on the Track Record. The gold Mega Hyper Rare #120 briefly traded above the SIR near $1,000 in July and has since faded to ~$185 sold. Live asks below refresh on page load via our eBay API feed.
Related Reading
More From ShopCardHub
All prices from recent eBay sold listings. For live pricing, PriceCharting.com tracks completed eBay sales daily.