Watch the Deluxe Pack: Mega trailer on The Official Pokémon YouTube channel
Deluxe Pack: Mega launches in Pokémon TCG Pocket on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. PDT, which is 1:00 a.m. UTC on September 30. Every four-card pack guarantees one Pokémon ex, drawn from reprints spanning Mega Rising through Ruler of the Skies, plus parallel foil cards and brand-new artwork on existing cards.
The announcement dropped on September 24 with a trailer and nine revealed cards. I was expecting it: Deluxe Pack: ex released on September 30, 2025, exactly one year earlier to the day. Pocket now has its annual catch-up event, the one where the game recompiles a full year of expansions into a single pack. Here are the dates, the confirmed card list, and my take on the real question: spend your hourglasses now, or save them for the new series that everything points to in late October.
When does Deluxe Pack: Mega come out in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
The release is set for Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. PDT, or September 30 at 1:00 a.m. UTC. It is a limited-time pack: gaming outlets report a one-month window closing on October 29, 2026. In 2025, Deluxe Pack: ex also shut down after exactly one month.
| Event | Date | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe Pack: Mega release | September 29, 6:00 p.m. PDT | four-card packs, guaranteed Pokémon ex |
| Mega Charizard X cover and backdrop | from September 30 | in-game collection accessories |
| Parallel foil mass outbreak | late September to early October | foils in rare picks and bonus picks |
| Ranked Match Season B4b SP | mid to late October | win streak bonus extended to 10 |
| Mega Garchomp ex Drop Event | mid to late October | B Series vol. 13 promo packs in solo battles |
| Charmander and Drampa wonder pick | second half of October | two promo cards to collect |
| Major Pocket update | late October 2026 | community decks, solo mode overhaul |
One caveat on the closing date: October 29 comes from the gaming press (NintendoSoup, Nintenderos), not from the announcement page, which only gives the start. The 2025 pack closed on October 30 at 5:59 a.m. UTC. Either way, the practical rule is the same: one month, no more.
What is inside a Deluxe Pack: Mega?
Each four-card pack guarantees one Pokémon ex and pulls from reissued cards across Mega Rising through Ruler of the Skies, in other words the entire B Series from the past year. Every four-diamond card from those expansions is included, alongside parallel foil cards and cards with completely new artwork.
The announcement page sums up the spirit: "this is a great opportunity to pull rare cards you might have missed out on," as pokemon.com puts it. If you skipped Ruler of the Skies and its Mega Rayquaza ex this summer, or any Mega expansion over the past year, this is the catch-up session. Be clear about what this pack is not, though: it adds no new playable Mega Evolutions. The novelty is cosmetic, parallel foils and reworked artwork.
Which cards are confirmed so far?
Nine cards were revealed with the announcement, three Mega Evolutions up front and six cards showing the range of the rest: special illustrations, a full art Trainer, and parallel foils at lower rarities. Here is the breakdown, illustrators included.
| Card | HP | What stands out | Artwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Charizard X ex | 220 | 100+ damage attack, parallel foil version | 5ban Graphics |
| Mega Altaria ex | 190 | +30 damage per Benched Pokémon | 5ban Graphics |
| Mega Lucario ex | 190 | 90+ damage with extra Fighting Energy | 5ban Graphics |
| Eevee | 50 | special illustration, evolution-boosting Ability | Tika Matsuno |
| Fidough | 40 | special illustration with Rockruff and Lillipup | Whisker |
| Copycat | - | full art Supporter | saino misaki |
| Charmeleon | 80 | Energy-accelerating Ability, foil finish | Shin Nagasawa |
| Chingling | 30 | locks the opponent's Item cards for a turn | Kagemaru Himeno |
| Roaring Moon | 100 | Paradox Pokémon, switches the opposing Active | Takeshi Nakamura |
One detail I really like: the three headliners carry their foil treatment right into the card frame, with saturated backgrounds spilling out of the illustration window. The Eevee by Tika Matsuno plays a completely different tune, a jewelry shop scene full of gemstones. That contrast of styles is exactly what makes this kind of compilation fun.
An annual event: the Deluxe Pack: ex precedent
Deluxe Pack: Mega is the second of its kind. The first, Deluxe Pack: ex, released on September 30, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. UTC and covered the A Series, from Genetic Apex through Wisdom of Sea and Sky. One year later, same date, same mechanic, new series: this is clearly an annual fixture.
The formula shifted slightly along the way. In 2025, each pack guaranteed a Pokémon ex card of four-diamond rarity or higher. In 2026, the guarantee is simply one Pokémon ex, but the announcement specifies that every four-diamond card from the B Series is reissued. And the calendar tells you what comes next: the Release Celebration Poké Gold deals disappear "with the start of this new series," and rental decks will be rebuilt around "the latest booster packs." In other words, the B Series is closing and the next generation of expansions arrives in late October, continuing a pace Pocket has kept up since Team Rocket's Ambition in the spring.
Which events run alongside the release?
Three waves of events frame the pack. From late September, a mass outbreak slips parallel foil cards into rare picks and bonus picks, with event missions paying out shop tickets. From mid to late October, Ranked Match Season B4b SP extends the win streak bonus to ten straight wins and removes all rank point loss on defeat, at every rank.
The same stretch hosts the Mega Garchomp ex Drop Event, which hands out B Series vol. 13 promo packs for solo battle wins. Garchomp remains one of the most requested dragons in the game, and not only in card form: the Garchomp crystal LED Poké Ball, with the land shark laser-etched in 3D inside the sphere, is the kind of desk piece that ends up next to your phone during those grind sessions. A wonder pick event will finally let you grab the Charmander and Drampa promo cards. The little Kanto lizard has a devoted following among collectors, we see it with the Charmander LED Poké Ball on a wooden base at €29.99, often bought as a first-team gift.
Should you spend your hourglasses on Deluxe Pack: Mega?
My take, in three profiles. If you started Pocket partway through the year and missed one or more Mega expansions, go for it: one guaranteed ex per four-card pack is the best catch-up rate the game has ever offered. If your B Series collection is nearly complete, skip it and bank your hourglasses for the new series in late October, since this pack adds nothing new gameplay-wise. And if you collect finishes, parallel foils and alternate artwork, this is the only announced window to pull them in volume, helped along by the mass outbreak.
One month, no more: Deluxe Pack: ex never came back after October 2025, and there is no reason this one will be different. And while the pull rates decide your cards, our crystal light-up Poké Balls stay the safe pick for a trainer: no drop rate involved, the engraved Pokémon is guaranteed inside.
Frequently asked questions
Does Deluxe Pack: Mega contain any brand-new cards?
No new playable Mega Evolutions: the content comes from the Mega Rising through Ruler of the Skies expansions. The novelty is cosmetic, parallel foil cards and new artwork on existing cards, like the Eevee by Tika Matsuno or the Fidough by Whisker revealed with the announcement.
How long will Deluxe Pack: Mega be available?
About one month. The release is set for September 30, 2026 at 1:00 a.m. UTC and gaming outlets report a closing date of October 29, 2026. The previous Deluxe Pack: ex followed the same pattern in 2025, available from September 30 to October 30 at 5:59 a.m. UTC.
What is a parallel foil card in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
It is a version of an existing card with a foil finish covering the entire surface, frame included, with no change to its gameplay stats. During the mass outbreak from late September to early October, these parallel foils also appear in rare picks and bonus picks, outside the pack itself.
Should I save my hourglasses for the next expansion instead?
If your B Series collection is already well filled, yes. The late October update ends the launch-era Poké Gold deals and rebuilds the rental decks, two signs pointing to a brand-new series of expansions. An up-to-date player gains more by saving than by reopening reprints.
Is the 2025 Deluxe Pack: ex still available?
No. It ran from September 30, 2025 to October 30, 2025 at 5:59 a.m. UTC and never returned. Deluxe Pack: Mega picks up the torch for the B Series, and if the annual logic holds, the next pack of this type should land in late September 2027.
Which promo cards come with this release?
Two channels: B Series vol. 13 promo packs, distributed through solo battles during the Mega Garchomp ex Drop Event in mid-October, and the Charmander and Drampa promo cards, available through a wonder pick event over the same period. All three require playing, none is paid.
Image credits: Deluxe Pack: Mega cards and visuals from the official pokemon.com announcement (FR and UK), trailer thumbnail via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel. Cards and game © The Pokémon Company / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK / DeNA. Sources: pokemon.com/uk, pokemon.com/fr, Pokekalos, NintendoSoup, Nintenderos, Dexerto.
