McDonald's has ended its Pokémon card promotion in Japan prematurely due to overwhelming demand, leading to chaos and significant food waste. Fans reportedly bought multiple Happy Meals to acquire the Pokémon card packs, resulting in piles of untouched meals discarded. The promotion, which began on August 9, was supposed to last until August 11 but ran out of cards within the first day. Social media posts highlighted the chaos, including arguments over the limit of five meals per customer and even police involvement when frustrated fans discovered the cards were already out of stock. McDonald's issued an apology, urging customers not to contact stores regarding stock availability and recognizing the disappointment caused by the promotion's abrupt conclusion.

Why did McDonald's end the Pokémon card promotion early?

McDonald's ended the promotion early due to an unexpected surge in demand, which quickly depleted the stock of Pokémon cards, leading to chaos in restaurants and excessive food waste as customers bought multiple Happy Meals just for the cards.

McDonald's has run successful Pokémon card giveaways in the past, but the latest event in August 2025 quickly escalated beyond expectations. Fans have criticized the chain for not implementing stricter rules to prevent scalping and excessive waste, advocating for limits such as one Happy Meal per customer in future promotions. The Pokémon Trading Card Game continues to be immensely popular, with fans eagerly seeking exclusive cards, further fueling such promotional events.