Pikachu isn’t the hero this time. The Pokémon Company and YOKA Games quietly dropped the announcement of 「お前、もしかしてロケット圧？」 — “Are You Perhaps Team Rocket?” in English — on the official @poke_times Pokémon X account (Japanese) today, 14 July 2026. The card-based board game is slated to launch in Japan in November 2026.
A Villain-Themed Pokémon Card Game With a Twist
The key visual says it all: a hooded Rocket Grunt grins in the centre, flanked by a snarling, red-eyed Pikachu and a Koffing sporting a jolly-roger-style logo against a vivid yellow background. Two in-progress card samples appear in the lower corner — the images are explicitly marked “development versions” and subject to change.
Gameplay details — player count, card mechanics, win conditions — have not been revealed yet. The Pokémon official account simply teased: “續報をお楽しみに” (more information to come). What the key visual does confirm is that this is a card-driven game developed through the “ポケモンボドゲくらぶ” (Pokémon Boardgame Club) label, the same initiative that brought us Pokémon Goita in December 2025 and Pokémon Plakoro, which we covered last week. The Pokémon Company is clearly on a serious analogue-gaming run, with the Boardgame Club label becoming a proper sub-brand.
Who Is YOKA Games?
YOKA Games is a Chinese board game designer and publisher with a global catalogue. Their best-known title in Western tabletop circles is Sanguosha (三国油 / Three Kingdoms Kill), a popular elimination card game that has sold millions of copies across Asia and beyond. More recently, they co-produced the widely praised Slay the Spire: The Board Game. Their involvement signals that “Are You Perhaps Team Rocket?” is aiming for a polished, strategically meaty experience rather than a casual party game — though we’ll have to wait for the full reveal to be sure.
What Singapore Pokémon Fans Need to Know
As of this announcement, the November 2026 release is confirmed for Japan only. No English localisation, no Singapore or Southeast Asia release date, and no price have been disclosed. Given YOKA Games’ international distribution track record, a wider release is plausible — but for now, plan for this to be an import if you want it at launch.
If you’re into importing Japanese analogue games, your usual go-to stops — import retailers that ship from Japan, Japanese online platforms like BOOTH, and local tabletop shops that stock Japanese imports — should be on your watchlist. Pokémon Goita and Plakoro both found their way to local collectors through those channels, and “Are You Perhaps Team Rocket?” should follow the same path. Watch for pre-order windows opening closer to November.
Singapore’s tabletop scene has been in excellent shape — WSBG Asia 2026 just wrapped at Suntec City last weekend — and a Pokémon card game built around playing the bad guys sounds exactly like the sort of title that’ll generate buzz at local game nights. Check out more upcoming gaming events in Singapore while you wait for the full reveal.