McDonald’s Japan is gearing up for another Pokémon collaboration, dropping hints on social media that have fans buzzing — and perhaps a little nervous, given how last year’s promotion went.
According to PokeBeach, the fast food giant posted emoji symbols representing the Starter Pokémon and Pikachu on their Twitter account, while also updating their profile banner to feature Pikachu’s ears. No official details have been announced yet, but the tease is unmistakable.
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Last Year’s Promo Cards — and Chaos
What makes this particularly interesting is the context. Last year’s McDonald’s Japan promotion was the first time in a decade that the chain distributed actual promo cards rather than just plastic toys. Customers received a booster pack containing a new Pikachu promo alongside one of five stamped promo cards: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Ralts, and Riolu.
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The campaign was, to put it mildly, a disaster of success. According to PokeBeach, demand wildly exceeded expectations, leading to enormous queues, rampant scalping, significant food waste, and even reports of employee theft. McDonald’s was ultimately forced to cut the promotion short.
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With that backdrop, the big question now is whether McDonald’s Japan will include promo cards again or revert to the safer option of plastic toys. If they do go the TCG route, it’s reasonable to expect some kind of revised distribution system to avoid a repeat of last year’s pandemonium. Either way, collectors and fans in Japan will be watching this one closely — and so will we.
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