Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary Set May Have Its Rarest Pack-Pulled Cards

Pokémon’s 30th anniversary cards could be exceptionally scarce

The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s 30th anniversary release is scheduled for September 16, and its most difficult cards to find may be the RGB versions of Mew and Mewtwo. For months, collectors questioned whether images of monochromatic Mew cards were genuine. New sightings now indicate that the textured cards are authentic.

Three Mew colour variants have appeared so far: red, blue and green. Each carries the letters “RGB”, a reference that appears to connect the cards with the original Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Green games. No RGB Mewtwo card has been seen yet, although its absence would be surprising because Mewtwo is the other Pokémon associated with the set’s new Future Rare category.

Why the RGB cards are so hard to find

Early uncertainty came from two factors: the set was still months from release, and very few collectors appeared to be pulling the cards. As more images emerged from different people, the cards looked increasingly legitimate. The latest explanation is that their scarcity is deliberate rather than evidence of a hoax.

A Pokémon influencer called The Card Science says an apparent insider at Millennium Print Group, the company that produces the official TCG, provided information about the cards. The individual reportedly shared an identification badge and claimed the RGB cards are being kept under close surveillance to protect the reveal.

The alleged print-facility source claims an RGB card will appear in approximately one out of every 20,000 packs.

That would make the cards substantially rarer than recent top-tier pulls. For comparison, golden Mega Hyper Rare cards have reportedly appeared in roughly one of every 1,260 packs, or less than one per cent. If the 1-in-20,000 estimate is accurate, RGB cards would be the rarest cards produced for regular purchasable packs.

Not the rarest Pokémon cards overall

There are still Pokémon cards that are scarcer in absolute numbers. Only around 40 Pikachu Illustrator cards are believed to exist worldwide, and examples have sold for millions of dollars. A high production run for the 30th anniversary set should result in more RGB Mew cards being made, despite their extremely low pull rate.

That distinction matters. Promotional cards, competition prizes and special-event releases can be far less common than cards found in retail booster packs. Among cards that collectors can realistically chase through ordinary packs, however, RGB Mew—and potentially RGB Mewtwo—could set a new benchmark for rarity.

Collectors following the reveal can keep up with wider gaming news and arcade stories, while those planning a dedicated Pokémon gaming space may want to explore arcade machines or a compact bartop arcade.

For anyone considering a display or collection room, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide can help with the practical decisions around size, placement and setup.