Pokémon Set Release Dates

The newest Pokémon set

30th Celebration is a special set in the Mega Evolution series, marking the game's 30th anniversary. Like the 25th-anniversary Celebrations set in 2021, it comes with a Classic Collection subset of reprinted older cards, 30th Celebration: Classic Collection. Its priciest cards are ranked on the most valuable 30th Celebration cards page, and the subset has its own ranking. Among the reprints, Pikachu (30th Celebration: Classic Collection) currently sells for about $31.35, and in the main set Mew ex (30th Celebration) is the priciest card so far. New sets are volatile in their first weeks, so treat any price from launch month as provisional.

Pikachu30th Celebration: Classic Collection · $31.35

Mew ex30th Celebration · $149

The last main expansion before it was Pitch Black on July 17, 2026, whose Mega Darkrai ex (Pitch Black) is one of its top cards.

Next announced set

Mega Evolution—Delta Reign is scheduled for November 6, 2026. The Pokémon Company describes it as a Mega Evolution series expansion with over 135 cards, led by Mega Rayquaza ex. We checked the date and card count on the official pokemon.com product page and announcement. It'll get a set page here once it's out. We don't list sets that the official site hasn't announced, and we don't list Japanese-only sets at all; if that's what you're after, our guide on whether Japanese Pokémon cards are worth more covers how the two markets differ.

How Pokémon sets are organized

English sets come in a few kinds, and knowing them makes the list easier to read.

• Series. Sets are grouped into series that follow the video game generations, such as Sword & Shield or Scarlet & Violet. Each series has its own era page here.
• Main expansions. The regular sets that anchor each series, usually released about every three months in recent years.
• Special sets. Smaller or themed sets released between main expansions, like Hidden Fates, 151 or Prismatic Evolutions. A lot of the most collected modern cards come from these.
• Subsets. Extra card groups inside a set, such as Shiny Vaults, Trainer Galleries, the Galarian Gallery and Classic Collections. We list them as their own sets so their prices stay separate.
• Promos. Black Star Promo sets for each era, plus promotional runs like the yearly McDonald's collections.

How sets are numbered

Every card carries a collector number printed as a fraction, such as 4/102. The second number is the set's printed total. A card numbered above that total is a secret rare: Charizard (Skyridge) is numbered 146 in a 144-card set, for example. Our secret rare page lists them all.

Special sets released between two main expansions are often numbered as half steps in catalogs, including ours. 151 sits between Obsidian Flames and Paradox Rift, so it's catalogued as Scarlet & Violet 3.5. Crown Zenith is Sword & Shield 12.5 in the same way. You'll see that in our card URLs and nowhere on the cards themselves.

Early sets are also told apart by their set symbol. Base Set has none. Every set after it has a small symbol near the art box, which is the fastest way to tell a Base Set card from a Base Set 2 reprint.

Pokémon card sets in order

Here's every English era in order, with the sets in each. The full table with every set, subset and promo is further down the page.

Wizards of the Coast era (1999–2003)

Wizards of the Coast held the English license from 1999 to 2003 and published every set in the Wizards era. Base Set arrived January 9, 1999, followed by Jungle on June 16 and Fossil on October 10. 2000 was busy: Base Set 2 in February, Team Rocket in April, Gym Heroes in August, Gym Challenge in October, and Neo Genesis on December 16.

The Neo block carried on with Neo Discovery in June 2001, Neo Revelation in September 2001 and Neo Destiny in February 2002. Southern Islands came out in July 2001 and the Legendary Collection reprint set in May 2002. The e-Card sets closed the era: Expedition Base Set in September 2002, Aquapolis in January 2003 and Skyridge on May 12, 2003.

The sets from Base Set through Neo Destiny, apart from Base Set 2, had a 1st Edition print run, and Base Set alone had a Shadowless run. Our guides to 1st Edition Pokémon cards and Shadowless Pokémon cards cover both, and 1st Edition vs Shadowless vs Unlimited compares them. The era's most valuable card is still Charizard (Base Set). If you've got a box of cards from these years, start with our guide to old Pokémon cards worth money.

CharizardBase Set

CharizardSkyridge

EX era (2003–2007)

Once Wizards' license ended, Ruby & Sapphire opened the EX era in July 2003, followed by Sandstorm in September and Dragon in November. 2004 brought Team Magma vs Team Aqua in March, Hidden Legends in June, FireRed & LeafGreen in September and Team Rocket Returns in November.

2005 had Deoxys in February, Emerald in May, Unseen Forces in August and Delta Species in October. The era finished with Legend Maker and Holon Phantoms in 2006, Crystal Guardians and Dragon Frontiers later that year, and Power Keepers in February 2007. The nine POP Series promo sets ran alongside, from September 2004 to March 2009.

This is the era of the Gold Star cards, including Rayquaza ☆ (Deoxys) from Deoxys. There were only two or three Gold Stars per set, and they're still the hardest EX-era pulls to track down.

Rayquaza ☆Deoxys

Diamond & Pearl era (2007–2008)

The Diamond & Pearl era started with Diamond & Pearl in May 2007, then Mysterious Treasures in August and Secret Wonders in November. 2008 brought Great Encounters in February, Majestic Dawn in May, Legends Awakened in August and Stormfront in November. It's also the era of LV.X cards, which first appeared in the DP promos. Among its secret rares, Charizard (Stormfront) is the best known.

Platinum era (2009)

The Platinum era was one year of four sets: Platinum in February 2009, Rising Rivals in May, Supreme Victors in August and Arceus in November. Short, and easy to overlook, but the LV.X cards carried on right through it.

HeartGold & SoulSilver era (2010–2011)

HeartGold & SoulSilver arrived in February 2010, followed by HS—Unleashed in May, HS—Undaunted in August and HS—Triumphant in November. Call of Legends closed the HeartGold & SoulSilver era in February 2011. Its two-card LEGEND Pokémon, like Lugia LEGEND (HeartGold & SoulSilver), are the era's signature cards.

CharizardStormfront

Lugia LEGENDHeartGold & SoulSilver · $285

Black & White era (2011–2013)

The Black & White era began with Black & White in April 2011, then Emerging Powers in August and Noble Victories in November. 2012 had Next Destinies, Dark Explorers, Dragons Exalted, the special set Dragon Vault and Boundaries Crossed. 2013 finished the block with Plasma Storm, Plasma Freeze, Plasma Blast and Legendary Treasures. Charizard (Plasma Storm), the Plasma Storm secret rare, is one of the era's most valuable cards.

XY era (2013–2016)

The XY era opened with the Kalos Starter Set in November 2013 and XY in February 2014. 2014 continued with Flashfire, Furious Fists and Phantom Forces. 2015 had Primal Clash, Double Crisis, Roaring Skies, Ancient Origins and BREAKthrough. 2016 closed the era with BREAKpoint, Generations, Fates Collide, Steam Siege and Evolutions, which reprinted Base Set cards with updated text. Flashfire's M Charizard-EX (Flashfire) is one of the era's most valuable cards.

CharizardPlasma Storm · $1,295

M Charizard-EXFlashfire · $370

Sun & Moon era (2017–2019)

Sun & Moon launched the Sun & Moon era in February 2017, followed by Guardians Rising, Burning Shadows, the special set Shining Legends and Crimson Invasion. 2018 had Ultra Prism, Forbidden Light, Celestial Storm, Dragon Majesty and Lost Thunder. 2019 finished with Team Up, Detective Pikachu, Unbroken Bonds, Unified Minds, Hidden Fates on August 23, and Cosmic Eclipse in November. Hidden Fates' Shiny Vault holds Charizard-GX (Hidden Fates Shiny Vault), one of the priciest modern Charizards.

Charizard-GXHidden Fates Shiny Vault · $707

Sword & Shield era (2020–2023)

Sword & Shield opened the Sword & Shield era on February 7, 2020, followed by Rebel Clash, Darkness Ablaze, Champion's Path and Vivid Voltage. 2021 had Shining Fates, Battle Styles, Chilling Reign, Evolving Skies on August 27, Celebrations on October 8, and Fusion Strike. 2022 brought Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Pokémon GO, Lost Origin and Silver Tempest. Crown Zenith closed the series on January 20, 2023.

Evolving Skies is the standout, and it isn't close. Its alternate-art Umbreon VMAX (Evolving Skies) sells for about $2,200 and heads our most valuable Evolving Skies cards list. The Trainer Gallery subsets began with Brilliant Stars.

Umbreon VMAXEvolving Skies · $2,200

Scarlet & Violet era (2023–2025)

Scarlet & Violet arrived March 31, 2023, opening the Scarlet & Violet era. It was followed by Paldea Evolved in June, Obsidian Flames in August, 151 on September 22 and Paradox Rift in November. 2024 had Paldean Fates, Temporal Forces, Twilight Masquerade, Shrouded Fable, Stellar Crown and Surging Sparks. 2025 brought Prismatic Evolutions on January 17, Journey Together in March, Destined Rivals in May, and the paired Black Bolt and White Flare sets on July 18.

151 and Prismatic Evolutions are the era's best-known special sets. Charizard ex (151) sells for about $414 and Umbreon ex (Prismatic Evolutions) for about $1,528. The era's Special Illustration Rare cards drive most of its value; our guide to what an SIR Pokémon card is explains why. For whether the rest of a recent set is worth keeping, see are new Pokémon cards worth anything.

Charizard ex151 · $414

Umbreon exPrismatic Evolutions · $1,528

Mega Evolution era (2025–present)

The current Mega Evolution era began with Mega Evolution on September 26, 2025, and Phantasmal Flames on November 14, 2025. 2026 has brought Ascended Heroes on January 30, Perfect Order on March 27, Chaos Rising on May 22, Pitch Black on July 17 and 30th Celebration on September 16. Phantasmal Flames' Mega Charizard X ex (Phantasmal Flames) sells for about $790, and the most valuable Phantasmal Flames cards ranking has the rest.

Mega Charizard X exPhantasmal Flames · $790

Mega Darkrai exPitch Black · $238

Every English Pokémon set in order

The table below lists every English set, subset and promo set in release order, with the number of cards we track and each set's current value. It updates daily.

Special sets and holiday releases

Some releases sit outside the regular expansion cycle:

• Anniversary sets. Celebrations in October 2021 marked the 25th anniversary, and 30th Celebration marked the 30th in September 2026. Both include Classic Collection reprints, like Charizard (Celebrations: Classic Collection).
• Reprint sets. Base Set 2, Legendary Collection, Evolutions, and the 2023 Trading Card Game Classic, like Pokémon TCG Classic - Charizard, reuse older cards and artwork. PSA notes the reprints carry different set symbols or foil treatments from the originals.
• McDonald's collections. Small promotional sets released through McDonald's in most years since 2011, such as McDonald's Collection 2021. They appear in the table above as their own sets.
• Shiny subsets. Shining Fates and Hidden Fates each came with a Shiny Vault of shiny Pokémon.
• Black Star Promos. Every era has a promo set, from Wizards Black Star Promos in 1999 to Mega Evolution Black Star Promos in 2025.

CharizardCelebrations: Classic Collection · $156

CharizardBase Set

The reprint problem is easiest to see with Charizard: the Celebrations Classic Collection card above reuses the Base Set art, and the two sell for very different amounts. Always check which set you're holding before you price it.

How to tell which set a card is from

If you've got a card and want to know where it sits in the list above, three details on the card itself are enough.

1. The set symbol. Every English set after Base Set prints a small symbol on the card. Match it against the symbols on our set pages. A card with no symbol and a number out of 102 is Base Set.
2. The collector number and set total. The fraction at the bottom of the card, such as 58/102 or 199/165, narrows the set down quickly. Search the card name in our card catalog and compare the number against each printing.
3. The card's design. Card frames, borders and mechanics changed with each series, so LV.X, GX, V and VSTAR cards each point to a narrow window of years. Our era pages group the sets of each series together.

Reprints are where people slip. The same artwork can appear in Base Set, Base Set 2, Legendary Collection, Evolutions and a Classic Collection, and those printings have very different prices. The set symbol is what separates them, which is why each one has its own card page here. Our Pokémon card rarity chart explains the rarity symbols printed next to the collector number, and how to tell if a Pokémon card is rare is the quick version.

Within a set, cards are numbered in a fixed order. In Base Set the 16 holos come first as #1 to #16, the other Pokémon run through #69, Trainers are #70 to #95 and basic Energy #96 to #102. Modern sets usually keep Pokémon first and Trainers after them, then number the higher rarities, such as full arts and special illustration rares, above the printed set total. That's why a Scarlet & Violet card can carry a number like 254/198.

How often new Pokémon sets come out

In recent years a new English set has arrived about every two months. In 2025 there were releases in January, March, May, July, September and November. Main expansions come roughly every three months, with special sets in between. 2026 has kept a similar rhythm: Ascended Heroes in January, Perfect Order in March, Chaos Rising in May, Pitch Black in July and 30th Celebration in September, with Delta Reign announced for November. That pace is a lot to keep up with, and there's no rule that says you have to chase every one.

Set age alone doesn't decide value, but the market does lean old. Our year-by-year rankings, from the most valuable 1999 Pokémon cards to the most valuable 2026 Pokémon cards, show how each year's cards are priced today. For which sets hold the most valuable cards overall, see Pokémon cards worth money, and the market page shows which sets are moving this week.