McDonald’s latest Pokémon-themed Happy Meals promised a playful mix of nostalgia and excitement. Instead, the launch sparked an unexpected frenzy that swept across Japan, leaving restaurants overwhelmed and the promotion cut short. Keep reading to discover what brought an abrupt end to the supposedly fun collaboration.
Thousands of meals trashed over rare Pikachu card
McDonald’s most recent Pokémon-themed promotion kicked off in Japan on Saturday with plans to run through Monday, August 11. But what was meant to be a three-day event ended in just 24 hours, after higher-than-expected sales pushed the campaign into overdrive.
At the center of the frenzy was a coveted Pikachu trading card tucked inside each Happy Meal — a special reprint adorned with a unique McDonald’s stamp. Its scarcity quickly drove prices sky-high on resale platforms, sending collectors and resellers flocking to McDonald’s locations nationwide.
The situation soon spiraled out of control. Reports surfaced of customers purchasing huge quantities of food, stripping the meals for their valuable cards, and then leaving the uneaten burgers and fries to rot on the street. This shocking food waste, combined with separate accounts of McDonald’s employees illegally selling entire boxes of the cards, led the fast-food chain to make the drastic decision to pull the plug on the promotion entirely.
Typically, McDonald’s Pokémon giveaways use widely available reprints to avoid this kind of collector frenzy. This time, however, the rarity gamble backfired spectacularly.
McDonald’s issues apology after Pokémon Happy Meal frenzy
On August 11, McDonald’s issued a public apology to Pokémon fans after the company’s latest Happy Meal promotion spiraled out of control.
“We have confirmed that the Happy Meal Pokémon card campaign has resulted in some customers purchasing large quantities of Pokémon for the purpose of reselling. This has led to congestion and confusion in and around our stores. It also led to abandonment and disposal of ordered food. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. McDonald’s does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food.”
In response to the backlash, McDonald’s announced plans to introduce stricter purchase limits for future promotions. The company also revealed it is taking the unusual step of working with third-party platforms to combat scalping.
“We will request that all flea market app operators take more effective measures to curb malicious hoarding and resale activities by some users.”
While it’s unclear how much influence McDonald’s can exert over these platforms, the move signals a clear intent to pressure resale sites into blocking or removing accounts that exploit the Pokémon card Happy Meals for profit.
McDonald’s Pikachu cards hit eBay — and scalpers are cashing in big
Amid the chaos surrounding the promotion, it didn’t take long for McDonald’s exclusive Pokémon cards to start popping up on resale sites. According to Vice, individual cards are currently listed on eBay for around $28 each. While that price may not sound extraordinary at first glance, the sheer scale of reselling activity tells a different story.
In just the past couple of days, thousands of these cards have been sold by opportunistic scalpers. At that rate, some sellers are easily clearing over $82,000 in profits. Considering that a Happy Meal in Japan costs roughly $3.60, the potential returns are staggering — and help explain why scalpers were willing to sweep entire regions clean of stock.
The cards themselves may not command jaw-dropping prices individually, but when sold in bulk, the profits quickly add up. With interest from international Pokémon Trading Card Game collectors eager to get their hands on the Japan-exclusive cards, the demand shows no signs of slowing down.
Rare Pikachu cards have sparked outrage before — McDonald’s is just the latest
This isn’t the first time a limited-edition Pikachu card has stirred controversy. In 2023, The Pokémon Company issued a public apology after scalpers derailed a high-profile collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The special event, which featured merchandise blending beloved Pokémon characters with the iconic style of the Dutch master, was meant to be a joyful celebration of art and pop culture. Instead, it descended into chaos almost immediately.
Viral social media clips showed crowds rushing past the exhibits to strip the gift shop shelves bare, snatching up merchandise with the clear intention of reselling it at inflated prices. At the heart of the frenzy was the exclusive “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo card, modeled after Van Gogh’s self-portraits. Given away for free with any purchase from the Pokémon x Van Gogh collection, the card became an instant prize for collectors and resellers alike. Within hours, it had vanished from the museum entirely, flooding online auction sites where it fetched prices exceeding $600 — leaving genuine fans and art lovers empty-handed.
Sources: Video Games Chronicle, Vice