{"id":4669,"date":"2026-07-02T06:38:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:38:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-pitch-black-july-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T06:38:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:38:44","slug":"pokemon-tcg-pitch-black-july-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-pitch-black-july-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Pitch Black Launches July 17 \u2014 Mega Darkrai Leads Four New Mega ex"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’ve been tracking the Mega Evolution TCG series, this weekend is the moment to mark on your calendar. Pok\u00e9mon TCG: Mega Evolution\u2014Pitch Black<\/strong>, the fifth set in the Mega Evolution run, begins prerelease events at participating Play! Pok\u00e9mon retailers this Friday, July 4<\/strong> \u2014 two weeks ahead of its full global launch on July 17, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What Is Pitch Black<\/h2>\n

Pitch Black is a dark-themed expansion built around the Mega Dimension content from Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Z-A<\/em>, and the set name is not subtle about its direction. Where earlier Mega Evolution sets spread the spotlight across multiple type identities, ME5 leans hard into shadow and sinister aesthetics \u2014 Mega Darkrai ex is the face of this expansion, and everything from the booster pack art to the colour palette reflects that.<\/p>\n

The set ships with over 115 cards in total, including more than 35 cards with special illustration variants and over 20 Trainer cards. Its Japanese counterpart, Abyss Eye (\u30a2\u30d3\u30b9\u30a2\u30a4), launched in Japan on May 22, which means Japanese players have had about six weeks of competitive data \u2014 useful context if you’re heading to a prerelease tournament this weekend.<\/p>\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon
Image \u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Four Headlining Mega ex<\/h2>\n

Four Mega ex Pok\u00e9mon anchor the expansion’s product line, each with its own booster pack artwork:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Mega Darkrai ex<\/strong> \u2014 the face of the set, and from Japanese Abyss Eye coverage, it arrives with 280 HP and a hit-hard moveset that fits the expansion’s aggressive tone<\/li>\n
  • Mega Zeraora ex<\/strong> \u2014 a Lightning-type Mythical that pairs with Darkrai’s Darkness for what should be an interesting type-coverage combination in Standard<\/li>\n
  • Mega Chandelure ex<\/strong> \u2014 the Ghost\/Fire Pok\u00e9mon from Unova gets the Mega treatment, with the eerie candle aesthetic fitting perfectly in a Pitch Black set<\/li>\n
  • Mega Excadrill ex<\/strong> \u2014 the Ground\/Steel Pok\u00e9mon rounds out the headliners, giving the set broader type coverage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Beyond the main four, Bulbapedia’s set list also confirms Mega Slowbro ex<\/strong>, Wailord ex<\/strong>, and Morpeko ex<\/strong> among the expansion’s notable cards.<\/p>\n

    \"Pok\u00e9mon
    Image \u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \n