Pokemon Is “Maximizing Production” on TCG Products Following High Demand

Over the last few months, new products related to the Pokemon Trading Card Game have been extremely difficult to come by. Demand has been high among fans, and resellers have been quickly grabbing up items, then flipping them on sites like eBay. With a new TCG expansion set to be released tomorrow, The Pokemon Company has released a statement addressing the shortages, while pledging to make things better. For one thing, The Pokemon Company will be greatly increasing the amount of cards produced, both for upcoming sets, as well as ones that have already been impacted, like Prismatic Evolutions.

“For new Pokemon TCG expansions launching in the future, we are maximizing production to increase product availability upon release, and we will continue to reprint impacted products to replenish stock at participating retailers, including Pokemon Center, as soon as possible,” the statement reads.

The Pokemon Company went on to talk about the current queue system that is being used at Pokemon Center. The queue system was specifically implemented to address periods of high volume, and prevent resellers from being able to use bots to scoop up new releases. That system didn’t quite work as planned this week, as fans apparently made their way through the queues, but saw their orders cancelled anyway. The Pokemon Company’s statement did not address this situation specifically, but does note that “we will continue to explore measures that help create the best possible experience for Pokemon Center customers.”

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen several steps taken by The Pokemon Company to stop resellers. In addition to the queue system, official TCG vending machines are now limiting the amount of products that can be sold at a time, entering a “cooldown” that makes it so resellers can’t simply clear out a machine’s stock. Physical Pokemon Center stores have also been removing the plastic wrap from some sold products. While these measures should help curb resale value, increasing the amount of product on shelves is probably the best way The Pokemon Company can actually deal with the current level of demand. That’s not going to completely stop resellers, but it should convince fans to stop buying from online sellers.

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It’s unclear whether the increased production started quickly enough for the launch of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet – Journey Together, which arrives in stores on March 28th. Some fans are understandably jaded about these shortages, but at the end of the day, The Pokemon Company does not benefit from resellers jacking up the price of products. If anything, it means that fewer real fans can get the cards, and that could result in people looking at alternatives, such as Lorcana. It’s much better to have these cards in the hands of the people that are passionate about Pokemon, so hopefully that’s what we’ll see in the future.

Do you think The Pokemon Company can start to get demand under control? Have you struggled to find Pokemon TCG cards? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!