McDonald’s Australia is set to release limited edition Pokemon cards as Happy Meal toys to celebrate 25 years of the hugely popular franchise. However, you’ll have to be quick if you want to catch them all because the promotion was wildly popular in the US last year.
Update 7/9 11:15 a.m. AEST
McDonald’s has now announced the Pokémon Happy Meal range will be hitting Australian restaurants from Thursday, September 9. Fans will be able to collect four cards in every Happy Meal, with 25 total cards to collect. They’ll also receive a Pokémon sticker sheet, stickers, photo frame or card box in every meal.
As mentioned below, demand for these sets skyrocketed overseas, so you’ll need to get in quick if you want to nab these collectibles for yourself. Whether you plan to go drive-thru or in-store, make sure you’re staying covid-safe and respecting the hard-working staff behind the counter.
Otherwise, happy hunting!
The original story continues below.
“We know how much love there is for Pokemon in Australia, so we look forward to embracing the nostalgia and excitement by introducing the collectable toys later this year,” Liz Whitbread, senior brand manager at McDonald’s Australia said in a statement.
The promotion made major waves in the US last year, which prompted stores to issue purchasing limits to calm the absolute madness in-store. Kotaku Australia has reached out to McDonald’s Australia for confirmation on whether similar limits will be introduced.
“Some fans… are going to extreme lengths to get them, we’re working quickly to address shortages and also strongly encouraging restaurants to set a reasonable limit on Happy Meals sold per customer,” US McDonald’s said in a statement at the time.
Considering the crazy resale value we’ve seen for Pokemon cards in recent years, you can safely assume these Happy Meal toys will be flogged on eBay for astronomical prices in the weeks and months following the promotion.
The toys come free with a Happy Meal purchase, or separately for $2 at any McDonald’s store nationwide. However, the full US collection has been listed on eBay for as much as $250.
The Australian promotion will run from later this year. You can view the collection here.
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