The Next TCG Era Has a Name: Pokemon ex★, Teased by the Legendary Beasts
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The Legendary Beasts Are Back in the Spotlight
Pokémon just revealed the name of the next TCG series: Pokémon ex★. The tease came during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships on August 30th, and right before the new logo appeared on screen, the trailer flashed Entei, Suicune, and Raikou. That trio will likely headline the new era, and honestly, what a way to kick things off.
One Logo, Three Legends, Zero Details
Here is the honest version: the series name and the beasts are all we have. No cards were shown for Entei, Suicune, or Raikou, no release window was given, and Pokémon has not explained what an ex★ card actually does. The name presumably introduces a new Pokémon ex mechanic, but that is an educated guess, not a confirmation. More details are promised for the future.
A Star Usually Means Something
Star symbols have shown up in this game's naming before, and they have widely been speculated to signal some kind of special, restricted mechanic this time around too. Until Pokémon says otherwise, though, treat every theory as exactly that: a theory. The font and logo treatment are new, the mechanic is unknown, and that mystery is half the fun right now.
Why These Three Make Sense
Entei, Suicune, and Raikou were all designed by Muneo Saitō, and they work as a matched set in a way few legendary trios do. Their typings retell the Brass Tower legend from Johto: Raikou is the lightning that struck the tower, Entei is the fire that burned it, and Suicune is the rain that put it out. Two of them even trace back to the Spaceworld '97 demo, where prototype Pokémon named Rai and Sui laid the groundwork for the designs we know today. If you are going to front a brand-new era with a teaser and nothing else, this is the trio that can carry it on silhouette power alone.
The Road There Runs Through MEGA x MEGA Parade
Before ex★ arrives, Japan gets MEGA x MEGA Parade on February 19th. It will be Japan's annual High Class Pack set, the premium format where each pack contains 10 cards including a guaranteed hit, and it will star Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y. That set may close out the Mega Evolution block entirely, which is why the current reading is that the Pokémon ex★ block could start in the spring. The same Worlds trailer also gave us a first look at Mega Lucario Z ex from November's Aura Seeker and new Mega Attack Rares, so the Mega era is clearly going out loud, not quiet.
What We Actually Know
- Series name: Pokémon ex★, revealed August 30th at Worlds 2026
- Teased Pokémon: Entei, Suicune, and Raikou, likely headliners, no cards shown yet
- Mechanic: unknown, presumably a new take on Pokémon ex
- Timing: unconfirmed, possibly spring, after MEGA x MEGA Parade lands February 19th