July 19, 2026
SentIt's release week! Mega Evolution—Pitch Black is finally here, and players wasted no time putting the new cards to the test in tournaments across the globe.
🏆tournament results
Pitch Black's First Weekend Sees Diverse Top 8s
The first tournaments of the Pitch Black era are in the books, and the results are all over the place. We saw Pult Hammers, Slowking, and Mega Lucario all make the Top 8 at Full Grip Games' $3k event, while other creators showcased runs with everything from Garchomp to Mega Froslass.
TOURNAMENT OF DOOM! IS THAT THE.....
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@FullGripTCG: TOP 8 underway! 1 - Pult Hammers 2 - Slowking 3 - Mega Lucario 4 - Pult Hammers 5 - Hydrapple 6 - …
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Pitch Black $3000 Tournament at Full Grip Games
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Alakazam with Toucannon then Tournament of DOOM after!
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I Top Cut a Tournament With Cynthia's Garchomp
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📰news
Mega Evolution—Pitch Black Is Officially Here
The new set is now available at local game stores and is also live on Pokémon TCG Live. This release brings a ton of powerful new Mega Evolution cards and archetypes that are set to shake up the Standard format.
Delve into Darkness with Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black
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Battle Through the Darkness in Pokémon TCG Live
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More coverage
The Top 5 Best Pokémon TCG Cards From Pitch Black
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@Card_Shop_Guys: Happy Pitch Black Release day! Taking a look at the current pricing for the biggest chases from this…
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Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black | Available Now
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📊meta analysis
The Pitch Black Meta: Early Contenders and Day 1 Brews
With the new set out, everyone is scrambling to figure out the top decks for the new format. The community is buzzing with discussion around early standouts like Hide n' Sneak and Slowking, with creators like OmniPoke and Rahul Reddy dropping massive lists of potential Day 1 contenders.
What decks do you consider contenders for the PBL meta?
Discuss on r/pkmntcg ↗
@AlbertoContiTCG: Festival Lead is scary strong in the Pitch Black format
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Ranking Every Pokemon TCG Deck For Pitch Black
Watch on Rahul Reddy (YouTube) ↗
BEST Pitch Black Pokemon TCG Decks (40+ Decklists for Day 1)
Watch on OmniPoke (YouTube) ↗
How Will Pitch Black Change The Meta? #pokemon #pokemontcg #pokemoncards #playpokemon #tcg
Watch on TimDanklin (YouTube) ↗
🎯strategy
Your First Pitch Black Decklists Are Here
The brewers have been busy, and the first wave of deck profiles for Pitch Black is flooding in. Get a head start on the competition with lists for some of the most talked-about new archetypes, including the heavy-hitting Mega Darkrai ex, the disruptive Hide n' Sneak, and the tanky Wailord ex.
Can the new Mega Darkrai KO any non dark with Dark bell?
Discuss on r/pkmntcg ↗
13 NEW Pitch Black Decks! w/Decklists — LittleDarkFury
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What version of Hide n Sneak do you think is better?
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Mega Darkrai Deck Profile! | Pokemon TCG Deck Guide — WickedWonzeTCG
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Hide N Sneak Deck List & Test Hands | Pitch Black Format — Pokemon Trainer Nguyen
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📅event announcement
Plan Your 2027 Season: Regionals Schedule Announced
Time to update your calendars, because Play! Pokémon has dropped the dates and locations for the 2027 Championship Series. The North American circuit kicks off with Regionals in Baltimore, Louisville, and Las Vegas this fall, so start booking your travel now.
@iWillTheGamer: 2027 NA Pokémon Regionals and Events ANNOUNCED: Baltimore - Sept. 18–20 Louisville - Oct. 9–11 Las …
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2027 Regional and International dates
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More coverage
2027 Pokemon TCG Regionals Announced! Dates, Locations & Worlds Changes
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@thefleeee: Tentative plans right now (waiting for the remaining US regionals) - Baltimore - Louisville - Puebl…
Discuss on @thefleeee (Twitter) ↗
8-41. Everything you need to know about the 2026 competitive Pokemon season!
Watch on Tag Team Podcast (YouTube) ↗
💬community
What's the Best Way to Teach New Players?
A Reddit thread this week sparked a great conversation about building simple, balanced decks to help introduce friends to the TCG. It's a fantastic resource if you're looking to bring new people into the game, with lots of suggestions for creating a fun learning experience.
More coverage
@CCG_Benji: I see that @AzulGG is solving a lot lately in Pokémon. I believe he can also solve the fact that t…
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The Legacy of Yuka Morii in the Pokemon TCG
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Regionals with an 8 year old?
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Love the game, don’t like my local League
Discuss on r/pkmntcg ↗