As we eagerly anticipate the release of the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s new expansion, Scarlet and Violet—Prismatic Evolutions, set for January 17, the Pokémon Company is already grappling with a significant shortage. Despite the fact that the set hasn’t been officially launched, preorders are vanishing almost as soon as they’re announced. This has left even the most dedicated Pokémon fans struggling to get a hold of these coveted cards. Reports from Pokémon TCG website PokéBeach indicate that U.S. retailers are receiving way less than expected, in some instances, just about 10% to 15% of their requested stock.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game has acknowledged the problem via a post on X, saying, “We’re aware that some fans may experience difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions products at launch due to high demand impacting availability. We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing to fans, and we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to acknowledge this.”
This scenario isn’t exactly unfamiliar territory for The Pokémon Company. Ever since an interest boom in 2020, it’s been a consistent battle for collectors to get their hands on Pokémon cards. This surge in popularity led the Pokémon Company to significantly ramp up production. Where they initially churned out 1 to 2 billion cards yearly, 2020 witnessed that number leap to 3.7 billion. Between 2021 and 2022, they more than doubled their output, reaching over 9 billion cards. The momentum didn’t stop there, with production climbing to nearly 10 billion the following year. By 2024, the trend persisted as they manufactured a jaw-dropping 12 billion cards, bringing the grand total printed since the game’s inception to an astounding 64.8 billion.
Though these efforts have managed to ease the scarcity somewhat over the years, The Pokémon Company seems determined to keep intensifying production to mitigate these challenges.
