McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals in the U.S. on Nov. 10, and this time the promotion pairs plastic toys with trading cards for the first time since 2019. The McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meal lineup features 15 collectible toys and 15 trading cards, leaving collectors with two separate checklists during Pokémon’s 30th anniversary year.
The toys are miniature Happy Meal boxes modeled on individual Pokémon, while the cards are reprints, seven of them in foil. The U.S. is one of seven countries getting the promotion in November, with dozens more following through February 2027, Dexerto reported.
What’s inside the McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meal
Each meal includes one toy and two random cards, according to Scripps News. The food comes in one of three full-size boxes themed to Pikachu, Umbreon or Torchic.
The tiny boxes do more than sit on a shelf. Each has a pull-out key ring that attaches to a bag or belt loop, VICE reported, and the back opens into a small frame for displaying a card, per Essential Japan.
The 15 toys feature Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Weedle, Eevee, Umbreon, Torchic, Piplup, Munchlax, Minccino, Espurr, Rowlet, Sobble and Sprigatito. A QR code on the packaging also opens a digital scavenger hunt that sends players looking for all 15 toys around a virtual classroom and playground.
Why the toys matter
The novelty here is the return of a genuine 3D toy alongside the cards. The last U.S. Pokémon Happy Meal to pair the two ran from Oct. 15 to Nov. 11, 2019, according to Bulbapedia, with launcher toys accompanying each card. Recent U.S. promotions have centered on card packs and extras, such as the poster and sticker sheet included in 2025.
Cards have been part of U.S. Pokémon Happy Meals since 2011, and demand has gotten messy before. During the 2021 promotion, shortages led McDonald’s to encourage restaurants to set reasonable purchase limits. Last year in Japan, Happy Meals sold out within hours, and some scalpers reportedly placed bulk orders, discarded the food and resold the cards, Scripps News reported.
The cards to look for
The 15-card set includes Decidueye, Chandelure, Palafin, Pikachu, Mimikyu, Lucario, Hawlucha, Tyranitar, Absol, Zoroark, Metagross, Jirachi, Eevee, Snorlax and Wooloo, VICE reported. The seven holographic cards are Chandelure, Palafin, Pikachu, Mimikyu, Lucario, Tyranitar and Jirachi. Metagross comes from Temporal Forces, Palafin from Obsidian Flames and Hawlucha from Scarlet & Violet, according to PokéBeach.
Collectors may also run into a second list online. A Pokémon Company post accidentally showed cards with a 2027 copyright date and an M27 stamp, indicating a future McDonald’s set, Wargamer reported. That lineup, which includes Bulbasaur, Charmander and Gengar, isn’t the set headed to Happy Meals now.
How to get the toys and cards
Australia, Canada, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Spain and the U.S. get the promotion in November. Another 43 countries follow in December, including Germany, the Netherlands and Singapore, and 23 more arrive in January 2027, including Brazil, Italy and Mexico. Ireland and the United Kingdom come last, in February 2027, Dexerto reported.
Only the U.S. date has been announced by McDonald’s. PokéBeach, citing stores, reported that Canada starts Nov. 3 and Australia starts Nov. 5, according to VICE. Quebec is an exception, with diners getting a Pokémon sticker and a four-card booster pack instead of a toy, Daily Hive reported. PokéBeach reports that Norway will also receive booster packs instead of toys.
A qualifying U.S. Happy Meal includes a hamburger, with or without cheese, or a four-piece or six-piece Chicken McNuggets meal, along with a drink, apple slices and French fries, per USA Today. The promotion is limited to participating restaurants, so it’s worth calling ahead if you’re after a specific toy.
What’s next
The meals will be available for a limited time, while supplies last. McDonald’s hasn’t announced an end date, though PokéBeach’s store checks point to Dec. 14 in the U.S., according to VICE.
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