the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift, arrives November 3, 2023, but you can visit your local game store to play with it early! Starting October 21, 2023, select retailers will begin selling the Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift Build & Battle Box, giving fans a chance to have a Prerelease battle and experience the latest expansion before its official release date.
The Prerelease format allows players to compete using a 40-card deck with four Prize cards set aside at the start of play, as opposed to a 60-card deck with six Prize cards. This format is perfect for introducing new players to the exciting world of the Pokémon TCG with quick, fun games, and it also gives seasoned players a window into all that Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift has to offer. Due to a limited card pool and the variance of cards that can be acquired in a Build & Battle Box, Prerelease events are also a great opportunity to flex your creative deck-building skills.
Each Build & Battle Box includes four Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift booster packs, a 40-card ready-to-play deck featuring key cards from current and prior sets, as well as one of four unique foil promo cards to boost your Prerelease deck. Depending on which promo card you get, you could add the red-hot Chi-Yu, ice-cold Iron Bundle, tricky Xatu, or the indominable Aegislash. Whichever promo you do end up with, it will certainly shape your Prerelease strategy!
