What was meant to be a weeks-long celebration for fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game in Japan has been cut short after McDonald’s announced it will be ending its special Happy Meal promotion ahead of schedule.
The campaign, which began earlier this month, bundled exclusive Pokémon cards with every Happy Meal. It quickly drew massive attention from both children and collectors, with some locations reportedly selling through their stock in just a matter of days.
Long queues formed at many restaurants, and some customers began purchasing multiple meals in a single order to secure more cards. Social media posts over the past week have shown empty Happy Meal displays and staff notices apologising for the shortage.
In a statement, McDonald’s Japan explained that it decided to bring the promotion to an early close due to the unexpected demand, adding that it wanted to avoid further disappointment as supplies ran out nationwide. The company also confirmed it would not be producing additional runs of the exclusive cards.
While Pokémon card giveaways have proven popular in the past, this isn’t the first time a promotion has ended earlier than planned. Similar shortages have occurred during past collaborations, with some campaigns even introducing purchase limits to curb reselling.
For now, the only way to find the McDonald’s-exclusive cards will be through second-hand markets and if past trends are anything to go by, prices there are likely to spike.
1-Up Games 
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