Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black releases Friday, July 17, 2026 in the US, UK, Australia and the rest of the world. It is the fifth main expansion of the Mega Evolution era, adapting Japan's Abyss Eye set (out there since May 22) and themed around the Mega Dimension DLC of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The headliner is Mega Darkrai ex — and with the full set list now revealed and the first early Elite Trainer Box openings hitting the internet this week, collectors finally know exactly what they're chasing.

When Does Pokémon Pitch Black Come Out? Dates by Region

  • Worldwide release (US, UK, Australia): July 17, 2026
  • Prerelease events: July 4–12, 2026 at participating local game stores — the official early-access window, where you can buy the Build & Battle Box before street date
  • Japan: already out — the Japanese equivalent, Abyss Eye, released May 22, 2026
  • Pokémon Center: pre-orders ship for the July 17 release, including the exclusive-version ETB

If you can't wait a week, the prerelease route is the legitimate early play: 9to5Toys already published an early-access ETB opening on July 8, pulling a Special Illustration Rare, an Illustration Rare and a textured Mega Slowbro ex from just nine packs.

What Are the Chase Cards in Pitch Black? Full Set List Highlights

The complete list is out (first mapped in full by Joseph Writer Anderson's coverage): an 84-card base set, with secret rares pushing the full checklist past 115 cards — and a 200-card master set once you add the 82 reverse holos. The breakdown collectors care about: six Mega Evolution ex, four regular Pokémon ex, 11 Illustration Rares, 18 Ultra Rares and six Special Illustration Rares.

The six Mega ex are Mega Darkrai ex (280 HP), Mega Zeraora ex (270 HP), Mega Chandelure ex (350 HP), Mega Excadrill ex (340 HP), Mega Delphox ex (350 HP) and Mega Slowbro ex (330 HP). The chase hierarchy looks like this:

  • Mega Darkrai ex SIR by Akira Egawa — the set's crown jewel and already its most expensive card
  • Gold Mega Darkrai ex hyper rare (#118) — the hardest pull, estimated around 1 in 45 booster boxes
  • Mega Zeraora ex SIR and the Gwynn SIR Supporter — the other premium targets, with any specific SIR landing roughly 1 in 20 boxes

Players get real tools too: Jett (draw power that scales off your opponent's Mega ex), Gladion's Decisive Battle (+80 damage for non-Rule Box attackers), a Fossil Excavation Site Stadium, and two new special Energy cards.

How Much Is the Pitch Black ETB? Every Product and Price

  • Booster pack: $4.49 MSRP — already ~$10.40 each on the secondary market
  • Elite Trainer Box: ~$49.99 retail (9 packs + full-art foil Zarude promo, sleeves, dice, energies); secondary market already above $108
  • Pokémon Center exclusive ETB: $59.99, with the usual extra premium once it sells out
  • Booster Bundle (6 packs): stocked at Pokémon Center and GameStop; resellers were asking ~$75 pre-release
  • Booster Box (36 packs): listed at Best Buy and hobby stores; secondary pricing around $281 — currently the cheapest cost-per-pack route
  • Build & Battle Box: the prerelease product, available early July 4–12

Where Can I Preorder Pitch Black?

Pre-orders are live at Pokémon Center, GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon and local game stores, with Target stock expected around street date. Local game stores are quietly the value pick — several are still holding ETBs at the $49.99 mark while big-marketplace prices drift upward.

Australia got the set's one bit of pricing drama: EB Games opened pre-orders (initially for EB World Plus members) with the Elite Trainer Box at A$120 — a number that landed badly with collectors given the US box sits around US$50. If you're buying in Australia, comparing against local game stores before locking in is worth the five minutes.

If you track gaming release dates the way we do, see our AC Black Flag Resynced guide for the other big July date collectors keep asking about.

Is Pitch Black Worth It? Pull Rates and 30th Anniversary Context

Pitch Black continues 2026's trend of tighter, smaller sets — only 6 SIRs and 11 IRs to chase — which cuts both ways: master sets are more achievable, but the marquee hits are concentrated in a handful of Darkrai-centric cards, and early estimates put the gold hyper rare at 1-in-45-boxes territory. Early openings suggest the textured Mega ex hits look excellent in hand.

There's also a calendar angle: Pitch Black lands exactly two months before the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration set on September 18, and three Pitch Black promo cards — Primarina, Zarude and Armarouge, given away with purchases at participating stores — carry the special 30th Celebration “What's Your Favorite” stamp. That makes these store promos a sneaky sub-chase for anniversary completionists before the main 30th product wave even starts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When does Pokemon Pitch Black come out?

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black releases worldwide on July 17, 2026. Prerelease events run July 4–12 at local game stores, where the Build & Battle Box is available early. Japan's version, Abyss Eye, released May 22, 2026.

What are the chase cards in Pitch Black?

The Mega Darkrai ex Special Illustration Rare by Akira Egawa is the top chase, followed by the gold Mega Darkrai ex hyper rare at #118 (roughly 1 in 45 booster boxes), the Mega Zeraora ex SIR and the Gwynn SIR Supporter.

Where can I preorder Pitch Black?

Pokémon Center, GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon and local game stores have pre-orders live, with Target stock expected at release. In Australia, EB Games has pre-orders open — but its A$120 ETB price drew collector backlash.

How much is the Pitch Black ETB?

Around $49.99 retail for the standard Elite Trainer Box and $59.99 for the Pokémon Center exclusive version. Both include 9 booster packs and a full-art foil Zarude promo. Sealed ETBs were already trading above $100 on the secondary market before release.