Catch ’em all with McDonald’s 2023 Pokemon collab
The golden arches are calling us once again, and while the adorable Happy Meal is supposed to be aimed at kids, there's nothing stopping us adults from buying those little boxes and tucking into a cheeseburger or some nuggets. When Pokemon cards are attached, there's even more reason.
Pokemon has a long history with McDonald's, and you might remember the franchise's 25th anniversary celebration back in 2021. It happened again in 2022, and keeping with tradition, it looks like we're getting more Pocket Monster mayhem in 2023. Embrace your inner child in the latest quest to catch 'em all.
Pokemon cards return to Happy Meals in 2023
As reported by Poke Beach, McDonald's outlets in Austria and Germany are already adding Pokemon Cards to Happy Meals, with it expanding to the UK on August 23. There's no news on when it could pop up in the USA, although it's sure to be another massive promotion.
The site claims 15 Pokemon will be part of the promo, with the following on the starting blocks:
- Sprigatito
- Fuecoco
- Quaxly
- Cetoddle
- Cetitan
- Pikachu
- Pawmi
- Kilowattrel
- Flittle
- Sandaconda
- Klawf
- Blissey
- Tandemaus
- Cyclizar
- Kirlia
It's unsurprisingly focused on Pokemon Scarlet & Violet in 2023. With the games releasing in November 2022 and Pokemon anime embracing Gen 9 in Pokemon Horizons, it makes sense that we're moving with the times for the latest Happy Meal crossover.
Get Ready for Pokemon scalpers
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In terms of what you get in the box, each Happy Meal will include four of the custom cards, with one of them being a holographic one. Only six of the 15 are holo cards, including the Gen 9 starters of Sprigaito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, as well as Cetitan, Klawf, and (obviously) Pikachu.
You'll need to buy a minimum of six Happy Meals to get all the holos, but as it's all random, you'll likely have to buy a LOT more. We've previously seen McDonald's limit the number of Happy Meals you can buy in one go, which should avoid those scenes of Pokehoarders causing locations to sell out.
We're sure there will be some sort of drama, and you might remember when a McDonald's employee was arrested on suspicion of stealing Pokemon cards. Pokemon Happy Meal collabs were always going to do well, but with the Scarlet & Violet DLC coming out later this year, it makes sense to remind us about those cute critters.
