Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Reveals New Look at Legendary Illustration Rares

The Pokémon Trading Card Game 30th Celebration expansion is nearly here, releasing on September 16, 2026. This is the first time a set has released simultaneously worldwide , with all major regions - including North America, Europe, Japan, Oceania, and Latin America - all getting the set on the same day.

The closer the big day gets, the more Creatures Inc is giving fans brand-new previews of spectacular special illustration rare and illustration rare cards.

Together with the re-introduction of some of their favourite classics from the Classic Collection, and an exciting set of 30 unique cards featuring Pikachu itself, this is shaping up to be a Celebration for the ages. The latest wave of cards has given us a look at a parade of Legendary Pokémon; feast your eyes!

It’s worth noting that the official press release says that the company has “gathered up a lot of Legendary Pokémon”, not “all” Legendary Pokémon. That would explain why Koraidon, Miraidon, Zacian and Zamazenta are missing from this lineup, at least for now, and why regular Mons like Drifloon have found their way in.

It isn't the first time we've seen the trio of birds from Kanto recently! In fact, earlier this week we saw our first look at some beautiful upcoming illustration rares and special illustration rares below, featuring a connected trio of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

Themed around a day-night cycle, we saw a whole lot of Pokémon soaking up some rays. Alolan Exeggutor is hosting a lively gathering, Morpeko brings a spark of energy, and Salamence ex soars across the clear blue skies, while Sylveon and Fuecoco bask in the sunlight. The stand out for me though has to be that Maushold card - look at those mice go!

As the day becomes night, new Pokémon appear in the moonlight. A spooky Chandelure floats silently over a closed cafe/ Gholdengo shines brightly in the evening light, Scraggy seems tough and determined, and one of my personal favourites so far in this collection, Jirachi, shoots across the sky just as a star does. Toxtricity and Greninja are off somewhere at the party absolutely schmoving.

​I have to say, I’m absolutely blown away by how gorgeous some of these new illustration rares and special art rares—particularly the Moltres and Alolan Exeggutor cards. Although there is some debate within the community around the reprints of the classics in the Classic Collection, as a fan for so long, I still really value the nostalgic reprints, especially for those who didn't get the chance the first time. I know I’m not the only person who once put my base set Charizard through the washing machine 20 years ago.

Now, having another opportunity to collect these original classics means that everyone can own a piece of Pokémon history without having to spend a lot of money. It's actually quite great to see these classics becoming available again—isn’t that what the 30th anniversary is all about, at the end of the day?

There are so many products you can get your hands on for the 30th anniversary. Of course, getting your hands on these products is notoriously difficult. Bot-buying, retail camping, and the fear that secondary market prices will rise above MSRP before regular fans can get their hands on Elite Trainer Boxes or booster bundles have reached an all-time high. In order to deal with this surge in scalping, Amazon has introduced a ticketed, invite-only lottery system for the 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes and has put them on a "Request an Invite" queue in order to help genuine buyers secure the items close to retail price rather than losing out immediately to automated checkout bots.

Remember that the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion will be released on September 16, 2026. Each booster pack contains five foil cards, one foil Basic Energy, and guarantees a one-of-thirty unique Pikachu variant in every pack. Each Pikachu is illustrated by a different artist, with the first designed by the original Pokémon artist, Ken Sugimori, who recreated his Pikachu artwork from Jungle. Will you be catching em all in this milestone celebration?

Sara Heritage is a freelance journalist for IGN, specialising in Pokémon TCG. When she's not gaming, you’ll probably find her building yet another LEGO set she absolutely did not need, or chaining ranked matches in Pokémon Champions.