Prismatic Evolutions Shortage Prompts Pokemon TCG to Rush to Print More

Pokemon TCG's Prismatic Evolutions: High Demand Leads to Reprints

The Pokémon Company is addressing a significant shortage of its latest Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions, due to unexpectedly high demand. This shortage, first reported by PokeBeach on January 4th, 2025, and subsequently confirmed by IGN on January 16th, 2025, has impacted availability at retail locations across the US.

The Pokémon Company acknowledged the issue, stating they are working to increase production to meet the demand as quickly as possible. This increased demand has particularly affected smaller, local stores. According to Deguire, owner of Player 1 Services in Maryland, distributors limited supplies by 10-15% for smaller retailers, while larger chains like GameStop and Target received significantly larger allocations. This has led to price gouging in the secondary market, with products like the Elite Trainer Box already selling for significantly more than their retail price.

The Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions expansion, announced on November 1st, 2024, and launched on January 17th, 2025, features highly sought-after cards, including Tera Pokémon ex, new special illustration rare cards, and ultra-rare Supporter cards. The set also includes reprints of popular cards with new artwork, such as Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and Roaring Moon ex.

Further fueling demand, additional Prismatic Evolutions products, including a Surprise Box and Mini Tin featuring Eevee and its evolutions, launched on February 7th, 2025. A Booster Bundle and Pouch Special Collection are slated for release on March 7th and April 25th, 2025, respectively. A digital version of the set was also released on Pokémon TCG Live on January 16th, 2025.

While the shortage is causing frustration for collectors, the Pokémon Company's commitment to increasing production offers hope that the situation will improve in the near future. The high demand underscores the continued popularity and strong market for the Pokémon TCG.