Nintendo Collaborates With Pokémon Company to Combat Card Scalping

WHO:

IGN - Nintendo's president is Shuntaro Furukawa.

IGN - The Pokémon Company is an equity-method subsidiary of Nintendo.

WHAT:

IGN - 10 billion Pokémon cards were printed in the previous year.

IGN - 85 billion Pokémon cards have been produced to date.

IGN - Nintendo is aware of the scalping issue and is discussing ways to deliver products to consumers.

IGN - The Pokémon Company plans to implement made-to-order sales and agreements with marketplace operators.

IGN - The Pokémon Company will use an account verification method utilizing My Number Cards for online priority drawings.

WHERE:

IGN - A card shop in New York was targeted by armed thieves.

IGN - A Florida man was arrested for stealing Pokémon cards.

IGN - An incident occurred in Pasadena, California, where a Pokémon fan was arrested after hiding in a closed Best Buy.

WHEN:

IGN - The Pokémon Company's 30th anniversary set is due in September.

WHY:

IGN - The scalping issue has worsened, leading to high-priced reselling in the market.

IGN - Demand for Pokémon cards is high, resulting in shortages and thefts.

HOW:

IGN - Nintendo communicates with The Pokémon Company to discuss appropriate ways to deliver products to consumers.

IGN - Card manufacturing has been significantly boosted to keep up with demand, with 43 billion cards printed between October 1996 and March 2022, and a similar amount released in the past four years.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 17:33 UTC)

Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, is addressing the ongoing scalping issue surrounding Pokémon cards, which has led to a significant increase in thefts and high-priced reselling in the market. In response to the soaring demand, the Pokémon Company plans to implement made-to-order sales and will utilize an account verification method for online priority drawings, while also boosting card manufacturing to keep up with consumer needs. With 10 billion Pokémon cards printed in the last year alone and a total of 85 billion produced to date, the Pokémon Company's 30th anniversary set is set to launch in September.