GameStop Hit With Backlash Over Alleged Triple Price for Pokemon 30th Cards
GameStop is drawing backlash on social media after reports surfaced that it’s pricing the upcoming Pokemon card expansion, 30th Celebration, at roughly triple the original MSRP. The controversy is complicated by timing as well: some of the specific products being criticized won’t even hit shelves until months after the expansion’s initial release window in September.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game remains one of the most popular and profitable hobbies in gaming-adjacent culture, and that momentum has kept it in the crosshairs of scalpers and thieves worldwide. While enforcement actions have helped curb Pokemon card theft in the US and other regions, Pokemon TCG products still frequently show up at inflated prices through third-party resellers.
Meanwhile, a different Pokemon release is also on the horizon: Pokémon Adventures: Red and Blue, Deluxe Edition is now open for pre-order, with a launch date set for October 27, 2026.
What GameStop’s Reported Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration Prices Claim
GameStop is typically associated with used games, but it also sells Pokemon TCG products. That hasn’t prevented the retailer from becoming a focal point of pricing complaints this week.
On Twitter, PokeTCGAlerts and Joe Merrick from Serebii.net highlighted a reported listing for the Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection: Day & Night box sets at $600, which would be more than three times the $180 MSRP. PokeTCGAlerts shared images of GameStop price tags as they were being printed. The early visibility matters too: these price details were revealed about four months before the UPC box is described as launching on November 6.
More pricing screenshots surfaced as well. PokeTCGAlerts reported a $30 tag for the Knockout Collection booster box, $80 each for the Mew and Mewtwo Figure Collection, and promo bundles featuring Sylveon ex and Greninja ex priced at $70 per box. There was also criticism of the Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box being listed at $130, which is described as more than double what other Elite Trainer Bundles cost at the Pokemon Center.
GameStop has not issued an official public response addressing the Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration pricing reports.
How the 30th Celebration Release Schedule Could Affect Buyer Expectations
The Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration lineup is set to include marked reprints of well-known Pokemon cards from throughout the franchise’s history. The set is described as featuring cards such as the Base Set Charizard, along with other popular picks including Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Mew.
As of the time of writing, the first wave of Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration products is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, available through the Pokemon Center and multiple retailers, including GameStop. Additional waves of cards and boxes are expected across the fall.
Still, even if buyers are planning around that schedule, Merrick cautioned that GameStop’s reported pricing could discourage purchases. He also noted that, even with new printing facilities being built, Pokemon TCG supply won’t improve instantly.
Community Backlash and Scalping Efforts
After Merrick’s post, some users urged The Pokemon Company to reconsider—or potentially undo—its retail arrangement with GameStop because of the reported Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration prices.
Not long after these price details spread online, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said during a shareholders’ meeting that Nintendo was aware of The Pokemon Company’s efforts to reduce scalping. Furukawa also referenced plans to use official government ID checks in Japan as part of the anti-scalping approach. Despite the ongoing issue, he expressed confidence that Pokemon will keep implementing measures to tackle it.
