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Pokemon Reveals the ex Star Era at Worlds 2026: Mega Lucario Z Leads the Next Chase Cards
The 2026 Pokemon World Championships closed on August 30 with the biggest TCG reveal of the year. The Pokemon Company announced ex Star, a brand new series logo that follows the Mega Evolution era, and showed its first card, Mega Lucario Z ex. Teasers for Mega Rayquaza ex, Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zygarde ex and Mega Greninja ex followed, plus a TCG movie centered on Mimikyu. Here is what it means for the cards collectors chase next.
What Pokemon Announced at the Worlds Closing Ceremony
The August 30 closing ceremony packed a year of roadmap into one video. The headline was the new ex★ logo, read as ex Star, the next TCG series after Mega Evolution, teased with the legendary beasts Suicune, Entei and Raikou. Mega Lucario Z was revealed as a Mega Evolution Pokemon ex debuting in the physical TCG, the first card to carry the Z form.
The wider slate moved too. Pokemon Champions debuts Z Mega Evolution on September 9, 2026, and Pokemon GO runs its Mega Finale on September 5 to 6 with Armored Mewtwo back in five star raids.
Mega Lucario Z, Aura Seeker and the New Chase Cards
Mega Lucario Z ex headlines Aura Seeker, releasing in Japan on November 27, 2026 alongside Sigilyph ex. Pokemon has not announced an English set name or date, though an English release is reportedly expected in January 2027 according to Wargamer, based on retailer listings. That lands right after Japan's 30th Celebration set on September 16, 2026, covered in our 30th Celebration hub.
The ceremony video also revealed four new MA rares, Mega Greninja ex, Mega Rayquaza ex, Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zygarde ex. According to PokeBeach, they are split across Aura Seeker and the MEGA x MEGA Parade special set, so do not expect all four in one box.
How the Mega Era Hands Off to ex Star
Before any of that, the Mega era gets its English finish. Mega Evolution Delta Reign arrives on November 6, 2026 as the sixth main expansion of the series and the last one announced, headlined by Mega Rayquaza ex with more than 135 cards. Our Delta Reign hub has the full breakdown. No official source calls it the final Mega set, and Japan's era continues with Aura Seeker and MEGA x MEGA Parade.
TheGamer reports the ex Star era is expected to accompany Pokemon Winds and Waves in 2027, and Pokemon TCG Pocket introduces dual type Pokemon from October 2026, starting with Mega Mewtwo X ex.
What It Means for Collectors
A new series logo is the closest thing this hobby has to a starting gun. Era opening sets tend to mint the cards a generation chases, the way earlier eras produced the grails in our rarest Pokemon cards ranking. If the pattern holds, the first Suicune, Entei and Raikou cards will be watched from day one, with Mega Rayquaza ex as the obvious Delta Reign chase before that.
Pokemon: Wild Card, a 2027 feature centered on a TCG player and Mimikyu, is the first theatrical Pokemon film since 2018, so Mimikyu cards are worth watching as marketing ramps. The honest caveats, the English Aura Seeker date is an expectation, not an announcement, reveal week hype fades, and sealed product bought at peak excitement is usually the worst entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pokemon ex Star era?
ex Star, written ex★, is the next Pokemon TCG series logo announced at the 2026 Worlds closing ceremony on August 30. It follows the Mega Evolution era, and the reveal teased Suicune, Entei and Raikou alongside the new logo.
When does the Aura Seeker set release?
Aura Seeker releases in Japan on November 27, 2026 with Mega Lucario Z ex and Sigilyph ex. An English release is reportedly expected in January 2027 based on retailer listings, but Pokemon has not announced an English set name or date yet.
Is Delta Reign the final Mega Evolution set?
Not officially. Delta Reign, out November 6, 2026, is the sixth main expansion of the Mega Evolution Series and the last one announced, but Japan's Mega era continues with Aura Seeker and the MEGA x MEGA Parade special set.
Where to Go From Here
A new era rewards patience more than panic. Watch for official English dates on Aura Seeker and track the first Japanese singles when they land in late November. If you want to open something today with the math in plain sight, the Polkastarter marketplace shows every card, value, and chance in every Lootbox before you open, free mystery pack at signup.
Facts verified August 31, 2026 as cited, markets move, nothing here is investment advice. Polkastarter is not affiliated with the companies named.
Sources
- Pokemon.com: PokemonXP and the 2026 Pokemon World Championships Closing Ceremonies Recap
- PokeBeach: Upcoming Pokemon ex Mega Attack Rares Revealed From Aura Seeker and MEGA x MEGA Parade
- TheGamer: Pokemon TCG Will Officially Be Leaving the Mega Evolution Era Behind
- Wargamer: Aura Seeker Release Date
- Bulbapedia: Delta Reign (TCG)
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