McDonald’s and Pokémon Are Doing a Happy Meal Collab and We Gotta Catch ‘Em All
No really, you gotta catch 'em all.
Published Jan. 23 2025, 8:13 a.m. ET
It feels like it's been a thousand years since the world was almost literally taken over by Pokémon Go. When is the last time we've been that collectively delighted by anything? And while viewing the world through the many sizes and shapes of these fictional creatures was a darn good time, it was not without its issues.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the release of Pokémon Go caused an estimated 150,000 traffic accidents and 256 deaths in the first 148 days.
Thankfully there are other ways to enjoy Pokémon that hopefully don't result in any injuries. A collaboration between McDonald's and Pokémon is sure to put the happy into Happy Meals. If you're interested in grabbing a hamburger with Jigglypuff, here's what you gotta do.
Here's what we know about the McDonald's collab with Pokémon.
Starting Jan. 21, 2025, head to your local Golden Arches location to snag the new Pokémon Happy Meal. For a limited time, fans who order a Happy Meal on the fast food restaurant's app will get to experience the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG).
According to the popular chain, "Each Happy Meal includes a Pokémon TCG booster pack featuring four of 15 available Pokémon TCG cards, a Pokémon poster, and one sticker sheet to decorate the poster." Guillaume Huin, Senior Marketing Director at McDonald's, said, "There’s nothing more exciting than when we can bring campaigns to our fans with partners that we’re fans of ourselves."
There will also be four Pokémon-themed Happy Meal boxes at each location. Which ones, you ask? Great question. You'll get either Charizard, Pikachu and Dragonite together, Rayquaza, or Roaring Moon. Plus once you've ordered on the app, you'll unlock an in-game bonus at no cost for the Pokémon TCG Pocket app.
The fun never ends!
Let's take a look at some other epic Pokémon collaborations.
There have been a ton of Pokémon collaborations over the years. Let's cast our minds back to 2016 when the High Beam and Pokémon sneaker collaboration dropped. The shoe came equipped with visual and auditory signals specifically designed for Pokémon Go players.
Speaking of fashion, remember when Balmain released a Pokémon collection? There were nods to Pikachu on a deeply cool sweater, buttoned-up shirt, backpack, fanny pack, and of course a sneaker. Obviously, this was designed for the most elite among us.
On the subject of people with money, did you know that Baccarat once did a collaboration with Pokémon? The luxury crystal designer created a $550 Poké Ball for the most discerning of collectors. There are some things you simply cannot catch.