Pokémon ex★, Z Mega Evolutions, Mega Attack Rares, Worlds 2027, and a New Anime 'Wild Card' Announced
Pokémon Worlds 2026 is over, but the momentum will only carry forward with the insane news that was dropped during the closing ceremonies on August 30, 2026.
And while announcements extended to other games like Pokémon GO, Pokémon TCG fans are eating well after an absolutely massive news drop that included Pokémon Z Mega Evolutions coming to the TCG, the next series of Pokémon TCG called ex★, spoilers for new Mega Attack Rare cards, and perhaps the biggest curveball: an all-new animated film focused entirely on the Pokémon TCG competitive experience entitled, Wild Card.
We’ll get into all these updates and more below.
Pokémon Worlds is headed to Singapore in 2027
To kick things off, the location for Pokémon Worlds 2027 has been revealed: it will be in Singapore, marking the first time Pokémon Worlds has been held in Asia since 2023.
With the incredible success we saw for Worlds in San Francisco – over 50,000 fans descending on the city for a weekend of Pokémon-fueled fun, baseball games, drone shows and more, next year’s host city has its work cut out for it.
New Pokémon Animated Film “Wild Card” announced
In something of an incredible curveball, the President of the Pokémon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, announced the return of Pokémon to the big screen in an upcoming TCG-focused film entitled Wild Card.
Wild Card follows a TCG player as he grinds out battles using his cards (and accompanied by Mimikyu) in an attempt to become a Pokémon TCG champion.
This film marks the first time in seven years that Pokémon returns to the big screen with an all new anime film. The last animated film was Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle that released back in 2021.
The fact that the all-new anime film is going to have an overt focus on Pokémon TCG is something I doubt anyone saw coming: showing how important the Pokémon TCG has become to the franchise as a whole.
Wild Card will release starting in 2027. The trailer also says “and beyond,” which is slightly odd. Is this referencing a staggered release across different countries? Or is it a several part film?
The Pokémon Company’s president left much up to the imagination, but let us know that the film is already in production.
Whatever the film is going to be about, and whatever its release schedule, I doubt I am alone in being totally and utterly stoked for this film. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time grinding out TCGs and competing alongside friends, and so many others have done the same.
Whether to compete at national-level competitions (as I’ve done in the UNION ARENA TCG) or at Worlds-level as the likes of the champions we saw over this weekend, a mainstream anime film about the struggles, triumphs and experience of a TCG player will not only inspire countless individuals: it could help bring the competitive TCG culture even more solidly into the mainstream.
New Pokémon TCG Series announced: Pokémon ex★
While the Wild Card film was certainly a wild card, getting more news about upcoming Pokémon TCG expansions was a little less surprising. The next era of the Pokémon TCG has been teased, and it will be named ex★.
The “Star” could be referencing some kind of special mechanic as it has in the past: denoting a kind of card that you can only have one copy of in your deck. While little is known about what this new series will be all about, three Pokémon were teased right before the official ex★ logo was revealed: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. Could these legendary dogs be our first ex★ Pokémon?
Right now it seems likely – although we’ll have to wait for official confirmation to know for sure!
Z Mega Evolutions are coming to the Pokémon TCG
Not only was the next series announced, several cards were teased, including powerful Z Mega Evolution Pokémon.
The first Z Mega Evolution ex Pokémon card revealed is an upcoming Mega Lucario Z ex. Mega Lucario Z ex has a powerful search ability built into it called Aura Seeker (tied to the upcoming Aura Seeker Japanese Pokémon set slated for release in November, 2026). This ability could make Mega Lucario Z ex quite attractive to competitive players as it will enable you to search out a Supporter card from your deck and add it to your hand.
Strong card search abilities like this are rarely bundled into a powerful attacker like a Mega Pokémon ex. But I guess that just goes to show you how strong Z Mega Evolution Pokémon cards are going to be.
New Mega Attack Rare Pokémon cards revealed for the first time
Finally, brand new Mega Attack Rare Pokémon cards have been revealed, including some very exciting fan favorites from recent and upcoming sets: like Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Rayquaza ex, and Mega Zygarde ex.
Mega Attack Rare cards were originally released with the now legendary Ascended Heroes set. While not the rarest or most valuable cards around, they’re pretty cool – featuring signature attacks printed in either Japanese or English depending on the language of the card.
Pokémon Worlds 2026 was incredible. Starting with a Worlds Night at the Giants stadium, and closing with these huge announcements, it seems pretty safe to say that we have a lot of big stuff in store for the future of the Pokémon TCG.
And while most of us might still be checking spoilers for Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration, the Pokémon Company is clearly thinking lightyears ahead of its 30th anniversary. Just when you think the hobby couldn’t get any bigger, they drop an all-new anime film on it.
For those saying we’ve hit peak – we haven’t even left the ground.
