Pokémon Center update could change everything for 30th anniversary pre-orders

2 hours ago 2

Published Aug 3, 2026, 2:27 PM EDT

Maybe actual collectors will be able to buy UPCs and ETBs now

The Mew VMax card from the Fusion Strike set.

Trading card game fans have spent the last few weeks feeling anxious, as The Pokémon Center slowly doles out new waves of 30th anniversary pre-orders. So far, the prevalence of bots programmed to make lightning-fast purchases while collectors wait for hours has made every drop a miserable affair. Much of the time, scalpers clean out the best products before most people can even load the page. But now, The Pokémon Company might finally be putting an end to that nightmare.

Retail-tracking Discord servers with access to The Pokémon Center's backend report that changes to the website's security measures are imminent. Previously, users hoping to buy cards had to complete a CAPTCHA before entering the queue. The system slowed down incoming traffic to the website, but it didn't really stop bots from gobbling up inventory.

Going forward, the system may work a little differently. A graphic shared on a number of major Pokémon Discord servers purports to show a new security check meant to thwart bots. One example prompts the user to grab a moving object that must be placed in the correct area. Based on the image, that security check appears to be Rotation Match with the other challenges titled 'Path Follow' and 'Target Align'. While there are no examples of these security measures in the wild yet, it seems they will have some sort of dynamic element that cannot be easily automated.

Theoretically, this could mean that actual human beings will have an easier time getting into the queue to purchase Pokémon cards. But since the security measure has leaked before the system has gone live, proprietors of popular bot programs are already scheming potential workarounds.

For now, TCG collectors are rejoicing at the prospect of even a temporary setback for bot programs. The next drop is rumored to be the most expensive product in the 30th anniversary lineup, the Ultra Premium Collection. Vendors are already selling pre-orders for the $179.99 Eevelution-themed box at multiple times the manufacturer's suggested retail price. The general expectation was that, due to its high price tag and desirable promo cards, the UPC would be one of the most difficult items to source at MSRP.

Unless, of course, the new anti-bot measure goes live with the UPC pre-orders, which are reportedly already loaded into the Pokémon Center's backend. The Pokémon Center's alleged security updates would coincide with recent tweaks to Target and Walmart websites designed to curb bots and scalpers.

Whatever the case, Pokémon fans are bracing themselves for a potential new pre-order opportunity in the first week of August. Beyond the UPC, a number of other products, like the Ditto Premium Collection and the Figure Collection, have yet to go on sale. The first set of 30th anniversary products will be released on Sept. 16.

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