McDonald's New 'Pokémon' Happy Meal Surprise Leaks Ahead Of Launch

McDonald’s is set to announce a new Pokémon-themed Happy Meal promotion in the coming weeks, marking the return of a long-absent feature. The global campaign will reintroduce trading card reprints inside Happy Meals, a staple of past collaborations that have been absent since 2018. The packaging will again transform into a large Pikachu head design, a signature element of previous promotions. The initiative follows a pattern of nearly annual Pokémon partnerships since 2011, often tied to the resurgence of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Leaked images from PokéBeach reveal the upcoming Happy Meal-exclusive toys, which resemble mini Happy Meals and can double as frames for the included trading cards. The toys feature fan-favorite monsters, though the full list of cards and any special printings remain undisclosed. Monsters such as Metagross, Palafin, and Hawlucha are confirmed to be part of the card list. Each Happy Meal is expected to include two random trading cards, though specifics about exclusivity or holographic variants are still unknown.

The promotion is projected to launch in the United States on November 10 and run through December 14. Past McDonald’s Pokémon card promotions have seen high demand, sometimes leading to chaotic scenes in stores. Scalpers have historically targeted these promotions, though the lack of exclusive cards like Japan’s burger-eating Pikachu card may mitigate some resale activity.

McDonald’s has previously implemented purchasing limits and policies allowing toy purchases without a meal to manage overwhelming demand. In Japan, past promotions led to stores calling police on customers due to unruly crowds. The 30th anniversary of the Pokémon Trading Card Game may further intensify interest, despite efforts to control the chaos.