Pokémon TCG Prerelease events allow players to purchase and play with cards from upcoming expansions up to two weeks before the set’s official release date. The Pokémon Prerelease program is available to eligible Pokémon Leagues.
Prerelease consists of the following steps. Note that this information is for general purposes only and may vary. Please check your emails from Play! Pokémon for the most accurate information about each Prerelease.
- A new set is announced to Leagues eligible for Prerelease via email
- Leagues have until the end of the grace period announced in the email from Play! Pokémon to make any changes to their reseller selections or opt out of the program on the Retailer Portal. If this is your first Prerelease event, please make sure your preferences are selected on the Prerelease Settings page.
- Play! Pokémon informs resellers of eligible Leagues that are opted in to the program.
- Leagues may order from their selected reseller during the ordering window.
- Play! Pokémon informs Leagues via email that the sanctioning window is open.
- Leagues sanction Prerelease events in Play! Tools during the sanctioning window.
- Leagues run Prerelease events using Tournament Operations Manager (TOM).
- Leagues report Prerelease events in Play! Tools.
- The new set is fully released.