The Pokémon franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026.
The anniversary is tied to the Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Green, which arrived for the Game Boy on February 27, 1996. Counting 30 years from that launch gives 2026. The date is commonly treated as Pokémon Day and serves as the franchise’s annual anniversary marker.
Pokémon began as a video game property created by Game Freak, Nintendo, and Creatures. It later expanded into an animated television series, trading card game, films, merchandise, and mobile games. That unusually broad growth is why anniversary celebrations often cover more than the original role-playing games.
A common mix-up is counting from the anime’s 1997 Japanese premiere or the 1998 release of the first Pokémon film. Both are important milestones, but neither marks the franchise’s original debut. The 30th anniversary specifically follows the 1996 Japanese game launch.