Pokémon TCG: Next Mega Evolution Expansion is Expected to Be Called Chaos Rising, Focusing on Mega Greninja

The Pokémon Company International is supposedly set to reveal the fourth English Mega Evolution set soon, as leaked production schedules suggest that it will be called Chaos Rising – rumored to be the Western release of Japan’s Ninja Spinner set.

If true, Mega Greninja ex will be officially stepping into the spotlight for the next expansion. Here’s everything we know so far, including the release date, expected card lists, and when preorders should go live.

Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Release Date

Supposedly, Pokémon TCG’s next Mega Evolution expansion, Chaos Rising, will release on May 22, 2026. According to the report at Pokébeach, this also means that pre-releases will take place from 9th to 17th May.

This means that if you attend a local tournament during this window, you can get an early access “Build & Battle Box”. This includes a 40-card ready-to-play deck and four Chaos Rising booster packs. This pre-release window would be the first time we’ll see Mega Greninja ex in the wild as well.

Chaos Rising Card List Expectations

Serebii claims that Ninja Spinner has 83 cards in its main set. While it still doesn’t have an official card list in Japan, we can guess, based on previous sets, it’ll have about 40 secret rares, totalling about 120 cards.

We expect the Ninja Spinner card list to be officially revealed in the next few weeks, which will give us a hint as to what we can expect in the Western release.

We do know that the set includes all the Kalos starter Pokémon – Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie. Unsurprising, given its cover star!

What Impact Will This Have on Pokémon TCG’s Meta?

A Japanese translation of Mega Greninja ex from Bulbapedia talks about a “Mortal Shuriken” ability – “Once per turn, if this Pokémon is Active, you can discard a Water Energy to place 6 damage counters on any 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon.”

This pairs perfectly with its “Ninja Spinner” attack (120+ damage). The card states: “You may return a Water Energy from this Pokémon to your hand to do 80 more damage.”

That’s a total of 260 damage, including the 60 from its ability. Very ninja-like of it.

I’m a little scared about the impact the rumored Supporter card AZ’s Tranquility will have on the meta. This card lets you switch your Active Pokémon and heal 80 damage – a potential life-saver for high-HP Mega Evolutions. It just so happens that Mega Greninja ex has 350 HP, making it one of the highest HP Pokémon cards ever released.

Early rumors from the Japanese printing suggest the artwork features Greninja riding its own water shuriken. Considering the popularity of Greninja and its ridiculous stats, it wouldn’t surprise me to see this chase card reach $500+ on the secondary market.

When Will Chaos Rising Preorders Go Live?

At the moment, preorders for Chaos Rising are not available, as we’re still waiting for an official announcement from The Pokémon Company.

But, once they are available, you’ll be able to find them in all your usual retailers – if you’re quick! We don’t expect these to stick around for long, especially at MSRP.

If you’re in the US, set your alerts for Pokémon Center US, Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Walmart. If you’re in the UK, keep your eyes on Pokémon Center UK, Smyths and Amazon.

There’s also dedicated TCG resellers like TCGPlayer or Magic Madhouse, but, as third party sellers, we can’t predict the prices we’ll see. We expect to learn more information about Chaos Rising in the next few weeks, so check back to see the latest updates, and follow IGN Deals for live stock information.

What’s Next for Pokemon TCG?

Before Chaos Rising lands on May 22, there’s plenty more for fans to get excited about. For starters, Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebrations are on February 27, but you’ll be able to celebrate early as the commemorative Pokémon Day 2026 Collection dropped on January 30, alongside Ascended Heroes.

Announced back in December 2025, this is a very small release with one confirmed card: a unique stamped foil promo card of Pikachu looking cute as standard, along with a logo’d metallic coin, and a trio of TCG booster packs from different sets.

Pokémon TCG: 2026 Release Calendar – At a Glance

• Ascended Heroes – Jan. 30, 2026 (Out Now)
• Pokémon Day 2026 Collection – Jan. 30, 2026 (Out Now)
• Perfect Order – Mar. 27, 2026 (Preorders Live)
• Chaos Rising – May. 22, 2026

Looking ahead, as Ascended Heroes has already set the foundation of what the Mega Evolution set’s expansions are going to look like, Perfect Order’s going to kick things up a notch.

Just announced earlier this year, and arriving on March 27, 2026, Perfect Order is going to be honing in on many of the Pokémon featured in the Legends: Z-A game.

Among the cards announced from the 120-card set so far, we know we’re going to be seeing many of the game’s starring Mega Pokémon; Mega Zygarde ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Mega Clefable ex; but also some surprising extra additions like Meowth ex.

For the moment, the only place to preorder Perfect Order is via TCGplayer and other resale markets.

For more on celebrating Pokémon’s 30th anniversary this year, I’d also highly recommend checking out the TIME magazine exclusive celebration covers, all of which feature in the top of the best seller Amazon charts this week, and can be bought for just $14.99 each.

Sara Heritage is a freelance contributor at IGN.