The Pokémon Company has announced the 2026 Pokémon TCG Standard Format Rotation and it will go into effect on April 10, 2026.

2026 Pokémon TCG Standard Format Rotation Announcement

The Standard format rotation for 2026 competitive play will go into effect on April 10, 2026.

Every Championship Series season, Play! Pokémon removes older cards from competition in the Standard format with the goal of maintaining a healthy competitive environment. This rotation challenges existing players to create new strategies and enables new players to get involved in Play! Pokémon events using the most recent releases. Pokémon TCG Live also follows this rotation, so players can experience a consistent ruleset no matter where they compete.

The Standard Format for 2026

Cards with the “G” regulation mark will no longer be legal for play in the 2026 Standard format. Cards with “H," “I,” and “J” regulation marks will be legal to use (as will any future regulation marks that may be released). A card’s legality status is not based on which expansion it’s from. Even if a card is from a recently released expansion, players will need to refer to the regulation mark on the bottom of the card to see whether that card is legal for play. New cards still must follow the appropriate waiting period to become tournament legal, which is typically two weeks after their release.

For in-person Play! Pokémon events, the Standard format rotation will go into effect on April 10, 2026. For digital play on Pokémon TCG Live, the Standard format rotation will go into effect on March 26, 2026. This will give players an official platform to test out the new Standard format before participating in any in-person events.

Older versions of cards that don’t have a regulation mark can still be used if the card is currently legal for play. For example, the card Rare Candy from the Sun & Moon expansion can still be used because the card Rare Candy from the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution expansion has an “I” regulation mark. And even though the card Boss’s Orders from the Sword & Shield—Rebel Clash expansion has a “D” regulation mark (which has rotated out of the Standard format), it can still be used because the card Boss’s Orders from the Mega Evolution expansion has an “I” regulation mark. Be sure to check the Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook for further clarification on which reprints are OK to use.

The Expanded Format for 2026

The Expanded format will remain unchanged, maintaining the Black & White Series and forward. Players should double-check which format is being used before choosing a deck to bring to their events. Just like the Standard format, new expansions become legal for tournament play two weeks after release.

Please note that Pokémon TCG Live does not currently support all Expanded format cards for active play. Backwards compatibility plans are ongoing, and phased support for additional Expanded format cards is expected to begin later this year. As the full set of Pokémon TCG rules is large and complex, a phased rollout of greater Expanded support in Pokémon TCG Live will help maximize quality and ensure minimal disruptions to ongoing gameplay.

Please note that several cards are currently banned from the Expanded format. You can find the list of banned cards here.

Pokémon TCG Expanded Banned Card List

• Archeops (Black & White—Noble Victories, 67/101; Black & White—Dark Explorers, 110/108)
• Chip-Chip Ice Axe (Sun & Moon—Unbroken Bonds, 165/214)
• Delinquent (XY—BREAKpoint, 98/122, 98a/122, and 98b/122)
• Duskull (Sun & Moon—Cosmic Eclipse, 83/236)
• Flabébé (Sun & Moon—Forbidden Light, 83/131)
• Forest of Giant Plants (XY—Ancient Origins, 74/98)
• Ghetsis (Black & White—Plasma Freeze, 101/116 and 115/116)
• Hex Maniac (XY—Ancient Origins, 75/98 and 75a/98)
• Island Challenge Amulet (Sun & Moon—Cosmic Eclipse, 194/236 and 265/236)
• Jessie & James (Hidden Fates, 58/68 and 68/68)
• Lt. Surge’s Strategy (Sun & Moon—Unbroken Bonds, 178/214; Hidden Fates, 60/68)
• Lysandre’s Trump Card (XY—Phantom Forces, 99/119 and 118/119)
• Marshadow (Shining Legends, 45/73; Black Star Promo, SM85)
• Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick (XY—Primal Clash, 133/160 and 158/160)
• Milotic (XY—Flashfire, 23/106)
• Mismagius (Sun & Moon—Unbroken Bonds, 78/214)
• Oranguru (Sun & Moon—Ultra Prism, 114/156)
• Puzzle of Time (XY—BREAKpoint, 109/122)
• Red Card (XY, 124/146; Generations, 71/83)
• Reset Stamp (Sun & Moon—Unified Minds, 206/236, 206a/236, and 253/236)
• Sableye (Black & White—Dark Explorers, 62/108)
• Scoop Up Net (Sword & Shield—Rebel Clash, 165/192 and 207/192)
• Shaymin-EX (XY—Roaring Skies, 77/108, 77a/108, and 106/108)
• Unown (Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder, 90/214)
• Unown (Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder, 91/214)

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/about/pokemon-tcg-banned-card-list