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The 2027 season begins Sept. 18 in Baltimore and includes 30 listed events through Chicago NAIC on June 12–14; point awards will broaden, while Pokémon UNITE exits the series.
Near Mint Slowpoke from Stellar Crown leads the July 7 ranking at $5.62 reverse holo and $4.44 normal, driven by competitive demand and unusually few marketplace listings.
Rahul Reddy piloted Crustle to second place at Indianapolis Regionals after the post-rotation metagame shifted toward Dragapult ex and Crushing Hammer.
Dragapult ex dominated NAIC’s top cut and could exceed a 30% metagame share at the invite-only 2026 World Championships, where the author expects elite players to concentrate around the format’s strongest deck.
Grant Manley recommends a disruption-heavy Dragapult ex deck for NAIC after piloting it to a 9-3-1 record and Top 64 at Indianapolis Regionals.
Partnered vendors will reportedly be barred from selling graded slabs, items over $1,000 and unreleased Japanese Pokémon Center goods at Regionals and Worlds.
Dragapult ex took all three top Masters finishes at Melbourne Regionals, pairing 320 HP with Phantom Dive’s 200 damage and six freely placed Bench damage counters.
The set launches globally September 16 with six foil cards per pack, a guaranteed Pikachu among 30 variants, new Futuristic Rares, and stamped classic-card reprints.
Hydrapple ex won the Campinas Regional Championships after narrowly missing Top 32 in Los Angeles, and the author now ranks it among Standard’s top three decks.
Mega Lucario ex is positioned as a counter to the surging Mega Lopunny ex archetype ahead of Melbourne and Indianapolis, while retaining a favorable Dragapult ex matchup.
Festival Lead posted two Top 32 finishes at Prague Regionals and placed 12th in Los Angeles, with Rabsca and Dipplin helping its matchup against the dominant Dragapult ex.
The restrictions begin at Indianapolis Regionals and also bar items above $1,000, limiting sales of high-end chase cards and most Japanese Pokémon Center goods at TPCi events.
Dragapult ex/Crushing Hammer leads after two Regional wins, while Mega Greninja ex emerges from Chaos Rising ahead of NAIC.
Mega Lopunny ex and Dudunsparce reached the Los Angeles Regional Championships Top 4 by repeatedly healing with Wally's Compassion and pressuring Dragapult ex.
Dragapult represented 31% of Day 1 decks and 47% of Day 2 at the Los Angeles Regional Championships, prompting analysis of Raging Bolt ex and potential hard-counter strategies.
Dragapult ex won both LA and Prague, reaching 32% of LA Day 1 decks and 47% of Day 2 while supporting multiple competitive variants.
At the first post-rotation Prague Regional, Dragapult ex won and represented 31% of players, while Grass decks captured nearly 25% of the field and more than 30% of Day 2.
Dragapult ex remains the post-rotation deck to beat, pairing Drakloak’s draw engine with Phantom Dive’s 200 damage and six spread counters; Meowth ex improves Supporter access.
Noah Sakadjian’s N’s Zoroark ex list won Orlando Regionals, and the deck is expected to remain popular after rotation at Prague despite losing key pieces.
The post-rotation Psychic toolbox uses Telepathic Psychic Energy and Mystery Garden to support Mega Diancie ex, targeting a meta where Dragapult ex may exceed 20% play.