After scalpers took the call to “gotta catch ’em all” much too literally regarding the promotional McDonald’s Happy Meal Pokémon TCG packs, The Pokémon Company has committed to rectifying limited availability by printing more and sending them to affected retailers.
The Pokémon Company announced today that it was “aware” of the “difficulties” for consumers looking to purchase “certain Pokémon TCG products.”
“We are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity,” The Pokémon Company said. “For new Pokémon TCG expansions launching in the future, we are maximizing production to increase product availability upon release.”
The Pokémon Company didn’t explicitly address the frenzied scalping of McDonald’s promo packs, where scalpers are pushing the boundaries by snapping up multiple Happy Meals, separately purchasing cards, or even getting their hands on sealed boxes before invariably flipping them online for exorbitant prices.
It’s unlikely, however, that The Pokémon Company did not have an eye on the issue. Social media channels have been uproarious about the issue, while several McDonald’s locations have introduced strict limits for these purchases in response to concerns from consumers.
The Pokémon TCG vogue has been inflamed by recent streaming trends. Content creators purchase Pokémon cards in bulk, usually from sets that are no longer in circulation, before opening them live to a rapt audience.
