10 Billion Pokémon Cards Got Printed And It Still Wasn't Enough
Kotaku • • technology
Key Points:
- The Pokémon Company has printed over 85 billion Pokémon cards since the Trading Card Game (TCG) launched in 1996, with more than 10 percent produced in the past year alone.
- As of May 2025, 75 billion cards had been distributed, and an additional 10 billion cards were produced in the last 12 months, including popular sets like Scarlet & Violet–Prismatic Evolutions.
- Since May 2021, the total number of Pokémon cards printed has more than doubled, yet demand still far exceeds supply, causing ongoing shortages and high prices.
- It remains difficult for consumers to buy new booster packs from recent sets in retail stores, often forcing them to resort to lining up on restock days or paying inflated prices from resellers.
- The Pokémon Company acknowledges the supply challenges due to high demand and is actively working to increase production capacity to improve availability for fans.