Pokémon franchise sees record card production and video‑game sales amid supply shortages

The Pokémon Company reported that 85 billion trading cards have been printed since the franchise began in 1996, including more than 10 billion in the past twelve months alone. Despite this unprecedented output, retailers report empty shelves, long queues, bot‑driven bulk purchases and resale price hikes of two to five times the original cost. The shortage has sparked occasional physical confrontations and police interventions, prompting discussion of possible legal measures such as age‑verification for purchases.

At the same time, the video‑game side of the franchise reached a new milestone, surpassing half a billion units sold. According to the latest financial report, total game sales climbed to over 515 million by the end of March 2026, a rise of 26 million from the previous year, cementing Pokémon as the third‑best‑selling video‑game franchise worldwide. The surge was helped by the popular spin‑off "Pokémon Pokopia" on Switch 2, which sold four million copies shortly after launch.