You “gotta catch ‘em all” at the Golden Arches.
On Jan. 21, McDonald’s announced that its new limited-time Pokémon Happy Meal is dropping in restaurants nationwide through late February. The toy-filled meal allows folks to experience the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) through ordering on the McDonald’s app.
What’s in the Pokémon Happy Meal?
Players will receive a Pokémon TCG booster pack featuring four of 15 available Pokémon TCG cards as well as a Pokémon poster and one sticker sheet to decorate the poster (or wherever else you feel like sticking it).
Also, each Happy Meal purchase made through the McDonald’s app unlocks a free in-game bonus in the Pokémon TCG Pocket app. A one-time redeemable code will unlock 24 pack hourglasses and 12 wonder hourglasses within the game — those can be used to open two digital booster packs and select one randomized digital card as part of the Wonder Pick feature.
And that’s not all — the Happy Meal box itself comes in four different designs based on popular Pokémon: Charizard, Pikachu with Dragonite, Rayquaza and Roaring Moon.
Pokémon Go at McDonald’s
Beyond the Happy Meal and Pokémon TCG, Pokémon Go players will also be able to visit sponsored PokéStops or Gyms at all McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. — a continuation of the activation that began last December.
Players who visit participating McDonald’s locations during these specific weeks can encounter Pokémon attracted by active Lure Modules and join five-star raids at McDonald’s Gyms:
- Jan. 20 — 26
- Feb. 10 — 16
- March 10 — 16
McDonald’s has been courting the anime fandom In February 2024, the chain temporarily turned into “WcDonald’s” — and dropped a savory chili sauce — to pay homage to the upside-down golden arches used in manga and anime movies and shows.
Then, in July 2024, it dropped a Special Grade Garlic Sauce inspired by McDonald’s Japan in collaboration with anime series “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
