Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebration delivered new games content, Mega Evolutions, TCG surprises, a new movie, an Aardman series and the location of the 2027 World Championships.

The 2026 Pokémon World Championships wrapped up an enormous weekend for the franchise in San Francisco. Held from August 28–30 at the Moscone Center, this year’s Worlds was paired with the inaugural PokémonXP fan event, turning the traditional competitive championship into a much broader celebration of everything Pokémon.

And The Pokémon Company saved plenty of news for the occasion.

From the first new Pokémon feature film in years to major changes coming to Pokémon Champions, Pokémon GO, the Trading Card Game and Pokémon UNITE, here is everything announced during PokémonXP and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships.

Pokémon: Wild Card Is a Brand-New Animated Movie

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend was Pokémon: Wild Card, a new feature-length animated Pokémon movie scheduled to begin releasing in 2027.

The story follows an aspiring Pokémon Trading Card Game player alongside Mimikyu, immediately separating Wild Card from many previous Pokémon movies centered around traditional Pokémon battling and exploration.

The movie is being produced with STORY inc. and CloverWorks, the animation studio known for projects including Spy x Family. The Pokémon Company describes Wild Card as the franchise’s first movie release in years.

Centering an animated Pokémon movie around the TCG is particularly interesting considering how enormous the card game’s collector and competitive communities have become. It could also introduce a part of Pokémon culture rarely explored in the franchise’s animation.

Release: 2027
Studio: CloverWorks / STORY inc.
Featured Pokémon: Mimikyu

Z Mega Evolutions Are Coming to Pokémon Champions

Competitive players received one of the weekend’s most important announcements.

Mega Absol Z, Mega Lucario Z and Mega Garchomp Z are joining Pokémon Champions as part of Regulation Set M-C, which begins September 9, 2026.

Rillaboom and Baxcalibur are also being added to the available Pokémon pool.

The new Mega Evolutions aren’t simply cosmetic alternatives either.

Mega Absol Z becomes Dark/Ghost and receives Sharpness, boosting slicing moves by 50 percent. Mega Lucario Z remains Fighting/Steel but introduces the new Aura Guard Ability, reducing damage received from contact moves by half.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Mega Garchomp Z becomes a pure Dragon type and receives Levitate, making it immune to Ground-type attacks along with hazards including Spikes, Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web.

Heatran was also teased for a future appearance.

With Pokémon Champions now serving as Pokémon’s primary competitive battling platform, these additions could dramatically shake up the competitive metagame.

Pokémon Tales Is Heading to Disney+

Pokémon’s collaboration with legendary British animation studio Aardman finally received another major update.

The stop-motion production is officially titled:

Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu

The series will take place in the Galar region and follow Sirfetch’d and Pichu through what appears to be a comedy-focused adventure.

Aardman creatives discussed the process of physically creating Pokémon characters and environments during a special PokémonXP presentation, followed by the premiere of the show’s first official trailer.

Even bigger was the confirmation that Disney+ will be the exclusive streaming home for the series when it debuts in 2027.

Pairing Pokémon with the studio responsible for Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep could produce one of the franchise’s most visually distinctive animated projects yet.

Pokémon GO Is Finally Bringing Mega Evolutions Into GO Battle League

The Pokémon World Championships also delivered potentially huge changes for competitive Pokémon GO.

Starting next season, Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be permitted at all levels of GO Battle League.

Eligible Mega-Evolved Pokémon will also gain access to a third Charged Attack, adding another strategic layer to both competitive battles and fights between friends.

Then came another announcement longtime players may appreciate:

Armored Mewtwo is returning.

The special version of Mewtwo has historically been one of Pokémon GO’s more desirable limited Pokémon, and The Pokémon Company confirmed that it will return to the game soon. An exact return date wasn’t announced during Worlds.

Pokémon TCG Gets Z Mega Evolutions and a New ex★ Series

Physical Pokémon card collectors weren’t forgotten.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game revealed Mega Lucario Z ex, officially bringing the newer Z Mega Evolution concept into the TCG.

Additional Mega Pokémon cards announced include:

• Mega Rayquaza ex
• Mega Darkrai ex
• Mega Greninja ex
• Mega Zygarde ex

The company also teased additional Mega attack rare cards.

But perhaps the more intriguing reveal was an entirely new ex★ Series.

Legendary beasts Raikou, Entei and Suicune were shown as Pokémon coming to the newly revealed card series. Exactly how ex★ cards will differ mechanically or aesthetically from existing Pokémon ex cards has not yet been fully detailed.

That mystery alone should give collectors something to watch closely over the coming months.

Dual-Type Pokémon Are Coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is also getting a substantial gameplay addition.

Beginning in October 2026, the game’s next card series will introduce dual-type Pokémon.

That’s potentially a bigger change than it initially sounds. Type matchups, deck construction and Energy requirements are fundamental pieces of the TCG Pocket format, meaning dual typing could create entirely new deck combinations and strategies.

The Pokémon Company says additional information will be revealed later.

Four More Pokémon Are Coming to Pokémon UNITE

The Pokémon UNITE roster isn’t finished growing.

Four new playable Pokémon were revealed:

Morpeko, Toxtricity, Jolteon and Flareon.

Movesets and combat roles haven’t been fully detailed yet, but the selection gives players an interesting mix of Electric-types—and finally expands Eevee’s representation with two more Eeveelutions.

The announcement came during a particularly significant Worlds for UNITE. Pokémon had previously confirmed that San Francisco would host the game’s final appearance as a Pokémon World Championships title, closing out its five-year run at Worlds.

Pokémon Pokopia Got a Special Worlds Island

There was even something for Pokémon Pokopia players.

A special cloud island inspired by PokémonXP and the World Championships was revealed around the event. Players can visit the special location using an island code distributed during PokémonXP.

It wasn’t as large an announcement as Wild Card or the changes to Pokémon Champions, but it helped connect one of Pokémon’s newer games directly to the Worlds celebration.The 2027 Pokémon World Championships Are Heading to Singapore

The closing ceremony ended with one final major announcement.

For the first time, the Pokémon World Championships are heading to Singapore.

The 2027 Pokémon World Championships will run August 13–15, 2027, with competition taking place at the Singapore EXPO.

Moving Worlds to Singapore is significant for Pokémon’s rapidly growing competitive scene across Southeast Asia. The Pokémon Company has been expanding tournaments and community events throughout the region, making Singapore a logical destination for the franchise’s biggest competitive event.

A Huge Worlds for Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary

The 2026 World Championships felt less like a standalone esports tournament and more like a preview of what Pokémon wants the franchise to become during its next decade.

Competitive players have Z Mega Evolutions coming to Pokémon Champions. Card collectors have new Mega Pokémon and ex★ cards. Pokémon GO is opening competitive play to Mega Evolutions. TCG Pocket is adding dual types. Animation fans are getting both an Aardman series and an entirely new feature film.

And next year, the entire competitive Pokémon community heads to Singapore.

For a franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary, Pokémon certainly isn’t acting like something ready to live entirely on nostalgia.

It is already setting up what comes next.