The Pokémon Company has made the world launch of the Scarlet & Violet expansion: Destined Rivals for the Pokémon TCG, scheduled for May 30. The news marks the return of the Rocket team to card battles, rekindling the rivalry between heroes and villains that marked generations of players. With unpublished letters and a narrative proposal centered on the clash between pairs of coaches, the new collection promises to impact both veterans and newcomers in the game.
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The expansion brings back the mechanics of trainer's Pokémon, which now reinforces the bond between coaches and their Pokémon. Each letter of this type will display the name of the coach in art, highlighting the connection between them and offering new strategic possibilities. One of the highlights is the presence of the Rocket team in weight, with characters like Giovanni and creatures such as Mewtwo Ex leading the dark side of clashes.
Expansion increases number of letters and reinforces bond between characters
With a total of 83 new letters marked with the Rocket team seal, the collection will also feature 17 Pokémon Ex - being 10 Trainer's Pokémon ex - plus 23 rare illustration Pokémon, 11 special illustration and six hyper rare versions with gold finish. Thus, this diversity expands the range of strategies available to players and strengthens the collectible aspect of the game, one of the pillars of TCG's success.
Heroic pairs such as Ethan and Ho-Oh ex, or Cynthia and Garchomp ex, will face the classic villains in thematic battles. The Pokémon Company's idea is to allow players to choose one side and set up decks based on this rivalry. This approach gives new breath to the dynamics of the game and reinforces the narrative between the characters, without giving up competitiveness.
Products arrive in different formats and will have tournament tests before launch
The company will distribute destined rivals in booster packages, elite trainer boxes and thematic collections. However, before the official release, players will have a chance to test the new cards in the Prerelease tournaments, which will take place from May 17 within the Play program! Pokémon. These events are traditional in the franchise calendar and usually gather players communities to test firsthand strategies.
Parallel to the launch, The Pokémon Company will launch a new line of products inspired by the Rocket team. In addition, the company will launch the collection along with the Japanese expansion Pokémon: The Glory of Team Rocket, which will bring new content centered on classic villains. With this, the company reinforces the nostalgic appeal of the brand without losing sight of the current audience.
