A new set for the Pokémon Trading Card Game is on the horizon. Pokémon TCG's SV10 set will be Scarlet & Violet: Destined Rivals and is said to be drawing heavily from the Japanese sets, Heat Wave Arena and The Glory of Team Rocket. The popular card game is continuing to grow as collectors and players alike are eager for each new collection of cards to be released. With every expansion, the game evolves with new strategies for players to use in tweaking their decks to become as effective as possible, while collectors excitedly look for the next big pull card.

While leaks regarding the next Pokémon TCG set have been circulating for quite some time, there is still very little official information to provide at the time of writing other than that the set is called Destined Rivals and that the set will include many Team Rocket inclusions. That said, much of the information gleaned for this article comes from the Pokémon TCG news site PokéBeach, which has proven itself in the past to be a reliable source. Until there are more official announcements from Pokémon, many things regarding Destined Rivals should still be considered as speculation, however likely they may be.

Destined Rivals Release Date & Prerelease Info

Expected To Arrive In May 2025

According to PokéBeach, Scarlet & Violet: Destined Rivals will be released on May 30, 2025. Prerelease events and tournaments for the set will take place from Saturday, May 17 to Sunday, May 25, 2025, at local game shops and other event locations. Currently, no announcement has been made by The Pokémon Company regarding when pre-orders for the set will be made available. More information is expected to arrive in the next couple of months as those dates draw ever nearer.

This timeframe for the launch of the set may feel soon for many avid fans of the game, but it matches up with what has been a typical release schedule for the card game recently. Destined Rivals would be following the March release of Pokémon TCG: Journey Together, which is roughly two months from the release of Prismatic Evolutions in January.

The Japanese sets Heat Wave Arena and The Glory of Team Rocket will be released in the months prior to the English Destined Rivals, with Heat Wave Arena launching on March 14 and The Glory of Team Rocket on April 18.

What Cards Are Confirmed For Destined Rivals (So Far)

Set Is Likely Based Off Of The Japanese Heat Wave Arena And The Glory Of Team Rocket

It is important to note that as of the time of writing, no cards have been confirmed for Destined Rivals, yet. PokéBeach reports that they expect Destined Rivals will likely be leaning into the Japanese sets Heat Wave Arena, the Steven's Metagross ex and Marnie's Grimmsnarl ex decks, and The Glory of Team Rocket. If this prediction is accurate, these will most likely include Cynthia's Garchomp ex, Ethan's Ho-Oh ex, and Rocket's Mewtwo ex, in addition to Steven's Metagross ex and Marnie's Grimmsnarl ex.

Many fans of the Pokémon TCG were expecting this set to be focused heavily on Team Rocket references. The provided name of Destined Rivals instead hints that the cards could be much more generalized than that, with cards from numerous trainers rather than an emphasis on the Team Rocket library. For example, if the above suspicions from PokéBeach are accurate, Destined Rivals could already include Pokémon from at least seven different trainers.

Team Rocket is certainly making a showing in the Destined Rivals set, however with recently revealed artwork for the set on badges at Latin America's "gamescom" event showcasing Team Rocket . Among the badge designs are images of Giovanni, Executive Ariana, Executive Petrel, two Grunts, and more.

What To Expect From Destined Rivals Set

Items Available In A New Pokémon TCG Expansion

Every expansion set to Pokémon TCG includes a variety of things for people to purchase, including the Elite Trainer Box collections, which are generally one of the highlights for collectors and players alike. Similar to the SV: Journey Together Elite Trainer Box, the Destined Rivals box will likely feature card sleeves, damage counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, condition markers, card dividers to go with the artistically designed box, basic energy cards, and booster packs for the Destined Rivals set.

The Elite Trainer Box is a fan-favorite for every set, but there are always plenty of other offerings with a release of a new set as well. Besides being able to purchase individual booster packs, there is often some form of a Poster Collection, Binder Collection, Tech Sticker Collection, and more packs. Pokémon TCG: Prismatic Evolutions also featured a "Surprise Box" for players, with randomly selected foil promo cards and a uniquely designed card box, and a Figure box that was an instant collectible.

Sadly, until more information is officially announced, there is little more than speculation to go off of for the set at this point. After the Journey Together set has its release in March, the company will undoubtedly turn their marketing attention to Destined Rivals and give fans the information they are eager for. This set, with its likely emphasis on Trainer and Team Rocket cards, is sure to be an exciting one with some powerful cards and highly collectible pieces. Players can expect this Pokémon Trading Card Game set to be launching this May, with more information to come.

Source: PokéBeach