{
  "id": 16792605,
  "title": "McDonald's New 'Pokémon' Happy Meal Surprise Leaks Ahead Of Launch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/mcdonalds-new-pokemon-happy-meal-surprise-leaks-ahead-of-launch",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-27T20:17:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Polygon",
    "slug": "polygon",
    "url": "https://www.polygon.com/mcdonalds-pokemon-happy-meal-toy-card-leak-start-date-tcg-promo/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "McDonald's is set to announce an upcoming collaboration with Pokémon, bringing back a long-awaited feature in their Happy Meals. The fast-food giant and the Pokémon franchise have been partners since 2011, often featuring trading card reprints in the Happy Meal boxes. These campaigns have become quite popular, especially with the resurgence of the Pokémon trading card game and the fear of missing out (FOMO) among fans who believe the exclusive cards could be a valuable long-term investment.\n\nAccording to PokéBeach, the 2026 partnership will not only bring back the missing Happy Meal toy, but also introduce new Pokémon-themed toys that double as portable frames for the cards included in the meal. Fans can expect to find cards featuring popular monsters like Metagross, Palafin, and Hawlucha in the Happy Meals. The toy list is expected to include a variety of creatures, making it an enticing addition to the already popular Happy Meal promotion.\n\nThe new Happy Meals are projected to be available in the United States between November 10 and December 14 of the current year. While the long-term value of past Pokémon cards and the absence of exclusives like Japan's Pikachu card may help deter scalpers, the hype surrounding the Pokémon Trading Card Game's 30th Anniversary could still create a challenging atmosphere for McDonald's employees. Past events have resulted in long lines, mass orders, and even police involvement in Japan. Some McDonald's stores have already implemented purchasing limits and alternative purchase policies to manage the influx of Pokémon fans.",
  "summary": "The upcoming Pokémon promo brings back a McDonald's product that's been MIA from Happy Meals for nearly a decade",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}