McDonald’s is well known for partnering with gaming franchises to launch limited-edition collectibles. Over the years, McDonald’s has teamed up with everything from Super Mario to Sonic the Hedgehog to Minecraft, and now it looks like they are ready to partner up with Pokemon.
The Pokemon Company is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and to make it special for fans, it has partnered with McDonald’s Japan to launch a new Summer Chance Bag. That comes with a Popping Pikachu Potato Timer, designed to look like a bag of McDonald’s fries with Pikachu tucked inside. Set the timer, and once it hits zero, Pikachu pops out.
音が出ます。
— 【公式】ポケモン情報局 (@poke_times) July 10, 2026
ピカチュウも出ます。https://t.co/chWw5cRo7m #ポケモン夏マック pic.twitter.com/Tr3xMB2BlT
The Summer Chance Bag also comes with themed cups and storage pouches featuring Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The cups have their own spark: fill them with a cold drink, and the color deepens, adding a bit of visual flair to the design.
Other than this, each bag also comes bundled with food coupons redeemable for selected menu items like a Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets, and for a few lucky fans, one in every ten bags includes a gold McDonald’s Card.
McDonald's Japan just revealed that starting on July 15th, Chicken McNuggets® 15-piece sets will be available in a limited-time Pokémon design package, in addition to having two new sauce options, cheese curry sauce and delicious salty garlic sauce. No word on the Happy Meal or… https://t.co/ZzFdeuUTpJ pic.twitter.com/Da2NHicuHz
— Pokemon Alerts & News (@PokeTCGAlerts) July 10, 2026
Given how quickly Pokemon merchandise tends to sell out, McDonald Japan is handling distribution through a lottery system via its mobile app from Monday, July 20. Those selected will then be able to purchase and pick up their bags at any McDonald’s Japan location between July 27 and August 2. The Summer Chane Bag is priced at ¥3,900 ($24).
This isn’t the only surprise planned for the collaboration. McDonald’s and Pokemon are set to launch a new Pokemon-themed burger on July 16 and a dedicated Happy Meal lineup on July 31. There is no confirmation if Pokemon TCG cards will make a return as part of this collaboration.
Gamers playing Pokemon GO also have reason to pay attention, as every McDonald’s Japan location will be converted into an official PokeStop for the duration of the promotion, giving fans another layer of engagement beyond the food and merchandise.
That said, the excitement comes with a bit of caution baked in. Last year’s McDonald’s Pokemon collaboration in Japan ran into trouble when Pokemon TCG packs bundled with Happy Meals were widely scalped, prompting McDonald’s to issue a public apology and promise stricter measures going forward. The Pokemon Company has also taken independent steps to curb scalping more broadly, including requiring government-issued ID for certain high-demand purchases at some Japanese retailers. Whether similar restrictions will apply to this summer’s McDonald’s tie-in remains to be seen, but given the history, it wouldn’t be surprising.
