2017 TCG Formats Announced!

Pokemon.com has announced the new set rotations for the 2017 season, and it’s HUGE news!

For the new Standard Format, only sets from XY – Primal Clash and forward will be legal. That’s right: no more Night March! A lot of tool cards, such as Muscle Band and Focus Sash, will also be rotating out. Also, only Promos XY36 and higher will be standard legal now!

Unlike Standard, however, the Expanded format will remain unchanged. Everything from Black and White base set onward will be playable in that format.

There has also been a change to when sets become tournament legal! New sets become legal the third Friday after their North American release date (which will mean that XY-Steam Siege will be played at Worlds this year. Should be fun to watch!).

The 2017 season officially begins July 11, 2016, but the set rotation does not come into effect until September 1, 2016. Click here to see the official set list, and click here to read Pokemon’s official analysis of how these changes will affect gameplay in the future.