McDonald’s Japan is marking 30 years of Pokémon with a new run of Happy Meal toys built around 30 different Pocket Monsters. The lineup pulls in all 27 starter Pokémon from the games’ nine generations so far, then rounds things out with Pikachu, Eevee, and Snorlax. The toys arrive in three staggered waves through August.
Quick answer: The Pokémon Happy Meal toys go on sale in Japan in three rounds. Round one begins August 7, 2026, round two begins August 14, and round three begins August 21 and runs until stock runs out. This promotion is toys only, with no Pokémon Trading Card Game cards included.
Release schedule and how the three rounds work
McDonald’s is splitting the collection into two sets of designs, then combining them at the end. Six toys land in the first wave, six more in the second, and the third wave can include any of the twelve. That final round has no fixed end date and continues while supplies last, which tends to be a short window for popular Pokémon drops.
| Round | Start date | What’s available |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | August 7, 2026 | First set of six toys |
| Round 2 | August 14, 2026 | Second set of six toys |
| Round 3 | August 21, 2026 | Any of the twelve toys, while stock lasts |
Every Pokémon in the collection
The toys themselves cover a mix of play styles, including disc-shooters, ring toss, spinners, and rollers. Standouts include the Pikachu Poké Ball Roller, which wags Pikachu’s tail as you push the ball, plus an Eevee Poké Ball Roller and a Snorlax Name Tag you can clip to a bag.
| Round | Region starters and extras |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | Kanto: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle |
| Round 1 | Johto: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile |
| Round 1 | Hoenn: Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip |
| Round 1 | Sinnoh: Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup |
| Round 1 | Unova: Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott |
| Round 1 | Pikachu (Poké Ball Roller) |
| Round 2 | Kalos: Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie |
| Round 2 | Alola: Rowlet, Litten, Popplio |
| Round 2 | Galar: Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble |
| Round 2 | Paldea: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly |
| Round 2 | Eevee (Poké Ball Roller) and Snorlax (Name Tag) |
Purchase limits to deter scalpers
To keep resellers from clearing out stock, McDonald’s Japan is capping purchases at six Happy Meals per customer group on August 7, 8, and 9. During those first three days, online orders are restricted to the official McDonald’s Delivery Service. Similar limits are likely to return when round two opens, though the exact terms for that wave have not been detailed.
Note: You’ll know a location is honoring the cap if staff limit you to six meals per group at the counter. Stock for these Pokémon drops usually clears quickly once a round begins.
Where to buy and the region limit
For now, these Happy Meals are a Japan-only release, sold at McDonald’s locations nationwide with the standard exclusions for some stores. Full details on the toys and rounds live on the official McDonald’s Japan Happy Set listing. There is no confirmed plan to bring this specific toy set to other regions.
No Pokémon TCG cards this time
Card collectors hoping for another McDonald’s promo will be disappointed here, because this drop skips the Pokémon Trading Card Game entirely. That decision follows the chaotic reception of a card-based collaboration in Japan the previous September, when queues spilled out of restaurants, people bought meals purely for the cards, and the promotion was pulled early. Sticking to physical toys, plus the tighter per-group limits, is a clear attempt to avoid a repeat of that crush.
The toy set sits alongside McDonald’s Japan’s broader summer Pokémon push, which has also included a Pokémon-themed burger lineup and a Pokémon GO tie-up turning roughly 3,000 stores into in-game PokéStops for a limited time. If you’re chasing the full set of 30, the safest bet is to plan around each round’s start date and factor in the opening-weekend purchase caps.