The Pokemon Firm and McDonald’s have teamed up earlier than, however not with out attracting undo consideration from would-be scalpers. Earlier this month, McDonald’s Japan was pressured to finish its newest Pokemon Happy Meal promotion a couple of days early as a result of the provision of playing cards rapidly ran out amid chaotic crowds clamoring for the playing cards that got here with them.
Based on Nintendo Soup, scalpers drove a lot of the demand for Pokemon playing cards and lots of of them deserted their Happy Meals uneaten on the eating places or on the streets outdoors. In some instances, the crowds contained in the McDonald’s eating places had been so unruly that the police needed to be referred to as.
朝マック食べに来たらクソチャイナ転売ヤーが湧いてた
普通に迷惑だし日本から出ていってほしい。そんでマクドナルドはいい加減きっちり対策しろ pic.twitter.com/2Eoc4IpvEE— はぴ@メイ (@hapi_tori) August 8, 2025
Essentially the most-prized merchandise from this giveaway was a McDonald’s-exclusive Pikachu card that includes Pokemon’s iconic creature able to scarf a Happy Meal of his personal. Apart from the scalpers who got here away with the playing cards, the one actual winners of this PR debacle had been the pigeons who devoured the discarded meals.
早朝の渋谷のカオス。
マクドナルドのバーガーやポテトが道にばら撒かれた結果、ハトの大宴会が開かれている模様。
買った食品は責任持って食べきっていただきたいし、ゴミは持ち帰っていただきたい。 pic.twitter.com/VYLo2Fte26— スミレンジャーZ（愛称スミレちゃん、元スラウザーです） (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025
McDonald’s Japan did set a restrict of 5 Happy Meals per buyer, however that restrict was both ignored or circumvented by scalpers. Overzealous collectors and scalpers aren’t distinctive to Japan. American Rick and Morty followers might recall the Szechuan Sauce mania that occurred in 2017 when McDonald’s briefly introduced it again.
Nonetheless, Pokemon followers seem like in a league of their very own. Reviews have emerged that the Japanese mob has been utilizing some Pokemon playing cards to launder cash. Final Might, a UK man was arrested in possession of over $300k value of stolen Pokemon playing cards.
The resurgence of Pokemon fandom reveals no indicators of abating, and there is even a PokePark Kanto attraction slated to open subsequent 12 months in Japan. The following sport within the sequence, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, will probably be launched on Change and Change 2 on October 16.