The Pokémon Company Addresses TCG Shortages and Scalpers Following Destined Rivals Launch in New Statement

The Pokémon Company has officially addressed issues fans have had with getting their hands on recent Pokémon Trading Card Game sets. In a new statement, the company affirmed there would be reprints on the way, and that it’s working to get products to fans.

The release of the latest set for the Pokémon TCG, Destined Rivals, saw a combination of problems in shortages, reported issues with pre-orders, and of course, scalpers. Several other recent sets, including Prismatic Evolutions and the Blooming Waters box, have also been incredibly in-demand, and thus, difficult to acquire.

In a statement posted to the Pokémon site, TPC said it is aware that some fans are “experiencing difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card game (TCG) products due to very high demand impacting availability.”

“We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing for fans, and we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to acknowledge this,” the statement read. “Reprinted products are expected to be available at participating retailers as soon as possible.”

TPC also said it will be “maximizing production” for future TCG expansions to increase product availability at launch, and will “continue to reprint impacted products” to replenish stock, including for the Pokémon Center.

Additionally, The Pokémon Company addressed some of its scalper response in a roundabout manner. As the company put it, for releases on the Pokémon Center, it is “committed to providing a smooth purchasing experience and employ technology that helps get products into the hands of fans first and foremost.” Currently, the Pokemon Center uses a virtual queue for some products during periods of increased site traffic.

“We will continue to explore measures that help create the best possible experience for Pokémon Center customers,” the company said. “We’d like to thank the community for their continued support and patience as we work to deliver more Pokémon TCG products to fans.”

Hopefully, this statement holds true and we see some changes to make collecting and playing the Pokémon TCG a little less stressful when a new set arrives.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.