Pokémon TCG Teases New Gimmick For 2027 Set

Published Sep 6, 2026, 12:58 PM EDT Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Pokémon's annual Pokémon Worlds 2026 was one for the record books, with several exciting announcements coming out of San Francisco over the course of the three-day event. This year was especially notable thanks to the debut of PokémonXP alongside the World Championships, turning the weekend into a much broader celebration of the franchise's 30th anniversary. Competition remained at the heart of Worlds, including the first World Championship played using Pokémon Champions, but some of the biggest surprises came outside the tournaments. The Pokémon Company officially revealed Pokémon: Wild Card, a new feature-length animated movie coming in 2027, while Aardman's stop-motion Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu was confirmed for Disney+. Fans also got new Pokémon Champions content featuring Z Mega Evolutions, major Pokémon GO battle changes, and several upcoming TCG reveals. Among the most exciting TCG announcements, however, was the new Pokémon ex★ set and the tease of a brand-new mechanic (via PokeBeach). One of the biggest Pokémon TCG surprises to come out of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships was the tease of Pokémon ex★, an upcoming series that appears poised to introduce another twist on the game’s powerful Pokémon ex cards. Revealed during the Worlds closing ceremony in San Francisco, the teaser featured Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, though The Pokémon Company has not revealed a release date or explained exactly what the star designation means. That mystery is particularly intriguing because modern Pokémon ex have been a major part of the TCG since the Scarlet & Violet era. These Rule Box Pokémon generally have higher HP and stronger attacks than ordinary cards, with the tradeoff that an opponent claims two Prize cards after knocking one out. Unlike the Pokémon V that preceded them, Pokémon ex can also appear as Basic, Stage 1, or Stage 2 Pokémon. The star designation naturally raises questions about whether the new block will add another new gimmick to that formula. Fans have already theorized about something resembling VSTAR, where a Pokémon could gain access to an especially powerful once-per-game effect, or even an upgraded form placed over an existing Pokémon ex. Another possibility is some kind of deck-building restriction. Pokémon's history gives the symbol plenty of precedent: classic Pokémon Stars, commonly called Gold Stars, were limited to one per deck, while Prism Star and VSTAR cards later used stars alongside their own restrictions or special mechanics. None of those theories are confirmed yet, but the distinct ex★ branding makes it reasonable to expect something more substantial than a simple rarity change. PokéBeach also notes that February 2027's MEGA x MEGA Parade could potentially close out the current Mega Evolution block, leaving the door open for Pokemon's new ex★ line to begin sometime afterward.