Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black Lands 17 July

The Pokémon Company has confirmed Pitch Black, the fifth main expansion in the Mega Evolution Series, with a worldwide release date of 17 July 2026. It's shaping up to be one of the most hyped sets of the year — and demand is already showing.

What is Pitch Black?

Pitch Black is the first main set built around the Mega Dimension DLC from Pokémon Legends: Z-A, leaning hard into a Dark- and Steel-type theme. The headline acts are Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zeraora ex, backed up by Mega Chandelure ex and Mega Excadrill ex.

The set name is a nod to Darkrai's lore — long known as the "Pitch-Black Pokémon," a Mythical Darkness-type tied to nightmares and shadow. The official tagline sets the tone: twinkling city lights swallowed by darkness as Mega Darkrai ex arrives, with Mega Zeraora ex striking back with lightning. It's the darkest set yet, in both name and aesthetic.

For collectors, the consistent dark-and-metal artwork style gives Pitch Black a striking visual identity that tends to perform well on the secondary market.

What's in the set

Pitch Black features more than 115 cards, including:

• 6 Mega Evolution Pokémon ex
• 4 Pokémon ex
• 11 Illustration Rares
• 18 Ultra Rares (Pokémon and Trainer cards)
• 6 Special Illustration Rares (Pokémon and Supporter cards)

The English set adapts Japan's Abyss Eye expansion, sharing the same artwork. The Darkrai SIR is expected to be the primary chase card, with the Zeraora and Chandelure SIRs the likely secondary targets.

Key dates

• Prerelease events: from 4 July 2026 at participating Play! Pokémon stores, where you can grab a Build & Battle Box and play the set two weeks early
• Worldwide release: 17 July 2026

A note on stock

Demand is already fierce. When Pokémon Center opened preorders on 10 June, the rush of traffic briefly took the official store offline. The preorder window opened just 37 days before launch — the tightest in the current era — so anyone chasing retail pricing should move quickly rather than wait for prices to drop.

UK buyers should keep an eye on independent retailers as well as the bigger stores, as stock tends to move fast across the board.

Want to get your hands on Pitch Black singles, sealed product, or custom storage? Check out the Evolutions3D storefronts for what's in stock.