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If you’ve been enjoying your Mega Evolution year so far, there’s some good news – The Mega Evolution—Pitch Black expansion has officially been announced by The Pokémon Company, and it’s looking like the dark, brooding sibling to the bright Ascended Heroes cards we’ve been chasing all spring.
Here’s everything you need to know about the brand-new Pitch Black Pokémon TCG collection, including release date, preorder information, and everything we can expect inside
Release Date and Preorder Info
Mega Evolution—Pitch Black arrives on July 17, 2026. There are no confirmed details on pre-orders, but your best bet of securing Pitch Black at MSRP will be to bookmark this page and check the official Pokémon Center website for when pre-orders drop.
We don’t know what will happen here. For Chaos Rising, the latest set to go live, The Pokémon Company broke from their typical 70-day pre-release window and opened preorders much closer to release. The anticipation sent third party pre-orders through the roof as the community was caught off-guard, with fans calling it a ‘mess’.
For those who can’t wait for the official drop, your standard Prereleases will take place from July 4th to July 12th. This means you can head over to participating local stores to play in casual, early-access tournaments, and be one of the first players to play with the new Pokémon TCG Pitch Black expansion cards in a “Build & Battle Box” – a 40-card deck you can secure on the day.
For the digital-only crowd, Pokémon TCG Live will integrate the set on July 16, one day before the physical launch. This is where the meta will truly be tested. Expect to see “Anti Mega Darkrai” counter teams flooding the scene within minutes.
What’s Inside the Box?
At over 115 cards, Pitch Black is a much leaner, more manageable expansion compared to the Coalossal 295-card checklist of Ascended Heroes. Here’s what you can expect:
- 6 Mega Evolution Pokémon ex
- 4 Pokémon ex
- 11 Illustration Rare Pokémon
- 18 Ultra Rare Pokémon and Trainer cards
- 6 Special Illustration Rares (Pokémon and Supporters)
- Over 20 Trainer cards
- 35+ total cards with special illustrations
We currently know 4 of the 6 Mega Evolution Pokémon – Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, and Mega Excadrill ex. Could we be about to get a viable Lightning type attacker? Only time will tell.
Expected Chase Cards
Is anything more spooky than the current state of the Pokémon TCG market? Apparently yes – the terrifying debut of Mega Darkrai ex. Plucked straight from the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC, this mythical powerhouse is ready to turn the TCG competitive scene into a living nightmare.
In Abyss Eye – the Japanese equivalent of this set – Mega Darkrai ex has the “Abyss Eye” attack. If your opponent’s Active Pokémon is affected by a Special Condition, it is Knocked Out, no matter its remaining HP. Yikes. So long to the high-HP tank meta – this will be a fun card to play. Plus, it looks cool as heck, so there’s something for every fan.
While Darkrai gets the box art, it isn’t fighting alone. The expansion confirms three other heavy-hitters. The set’s Elite Trainer Box promo will be a new Zarude Illustration Rare, which is sure to fetch a handsome sum on third-party resell sites.
What’s Next for Pokémon TCG?
The Pokémon Company has been moving at breakneck speed for the 30th Anniversary era. But what’s up next? Chaos Rising is still a month away, but Pitch Black has already been announced. Historically, English sets haven’t been confirmed until the previous set hits the shelves, at the earliest. With the next set, Storm Emeralda (and the inevitable Mega Rayquaza ex hype) already confirmed for July 31st in Japan, we’ll be seeing more before we know it.
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.
