Massive Theft of Pokemon Cards Causes Chaos in United Kingdom

Eighty game and comics stores had to cancel Pokemon card events this weekend due to a massive theft in the United Kingdom.

This weekend was supposed to mark the start of pre-release events for the upcoming "Ultra Prism" expansion of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. Stores around the United States and Europe will host mini-tournaments that give players an opportunity to try and take home cards from the new expansion a few weeks before their official release.

However, stores in the United Kingdom won't get that opportunity, as the nation's entire stock of pre-release Pokemon cards was stolen in transit. Asmodee UK, the distributor of Pokemon cards in the United Kingdom, informed fans and stores of the theft earlier this morning. According to PokeBeach (a fansite specializing in Pokemon TCG), Asmodee tried to get additional stock in before this weekend, but was unable to due to poor weather conditions in the United States.

It's unclear how much stock was stolen, but registration for the events typically cost $30 in the United States. Players get a special pre-release deck containing trainer cards and a few set Pokemon cards and then supplement them with cards pulled from four packs of Pokemon cards including in the pre-release set. Some stores also give additional packs of cards away to the winners of events.

If each store affected by the theft had at least 15 players set to attend one of the pre-release events, the thieves probably made out with $36,000 or more in merchandise.

The full list of stores affected by the theft are as follows:

8Bit Planet

A Fistful of Dice

Acme Games

Angry Cherry

Antics Hobby Store

Athena Games

Bag of holding

BattleQuest Games

Bazbo Comics Truro

Beanie Games

Bus Stop Toy Shop

Calamity Comics

Cataclysm Games

Chaos Cards Tabletop Gaming Centre

Chase Games

Chimera Leisure Ltd

Comicrazy

Comics, Games & Coffee

Common Ground Games

Critical Hit Games Cafe

Dark Matter Cafe

Daydream Nation

Den 11

eclectic games

Excelsior games

Famous Collectibles

Fan Boy Three

Firestorm Games Cardiff

Firestorm Games Newport

Galleon Games

Game HQ ltd

Gamers World

Games hub

Geek Retreat

Geeks Headquarters

Golden Sun TCG

GTG Games

Harlequins Blackpool

Heroes (formerly Cheap Thrills)

Highlander Games`

Ibuywargames Ltd

IQ Games Centre

Just Games

Kabooom Entertainment GmbH

KD Games

Kids Stuff Toys

Mad for Miniatures

Magic Madhouse EXP

Mana Gaming

ManaFlux Gaming

Marquee Models

Nerd World

Netherworld

Netherworld Chester

Patriot Games

Patriot Games: Leeds

Portal Games & Entertainment

Premier Express, 2 Coles Lane

Proud Lion

Questing Knight Games

Rewind Collectables

Robins Hobby Cafe

Shadow Games Ltd

Shogun Games/GamesLoft

Skyward Fire Games

Sneak Attack Games

Soda

Stans games

The Gamers' Emporium

The Games Pit

The Games Shop

The Grove, Goodies, and Geekery

The Hobbit Hole

Toys & Games of Worcester

Travelling Man (Leeds)

Vault 14

Warboar Games

Wargames Workshop MK

Waterstones, University of Hull

Weekend Warlords