The release of the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Fusion Strike expansion is less than two weeks away, and select retailers are already participating in its pre-release. As part of the Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield series, this expansion features Pokémon and mechanics from the Pokémon: Sword and Shield video games. However, with 2021 drawing to an end and the release of Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl on the horizon, it’s possible that Fusion Strike may be the final expansion in the Sword and Shield series.
The Pokémon TCG Battle Styles expansion, based on the Pokémon: Sword and Shield Isle of Armor DLC. With the new Rapid Strike and Single Strike Styles, players could build a deck around these new one-hit and multiple-hit styles. The Evolving Skies expansion shifted its focus to Dragon-type Pokémon and Eeveelutions but also included new Rapid Strike and Single Strike cards. The 25th Anniversary expansion, Celebrations, was also released in October as part of the Sword and Shield series, featuring over 45 classic cards.
The Pokémon TCG's new expansion, Fusion Strike, will be in full release on November 12. The Fusion Strike mechanic, as its name may suggest, focuses on teamwork and using multiple cards of the same Battle Style together. This expansion will feature over 260 cards, including Pokémon V and Pokémon VMAX cards, Rapid Strike and Single Strike cards, and Trainer and Supporter cards in addition to more than 20 new Fusion Strike cards that will introduce the new Style.
Why Pokémon Fusion Strike Will Likely Be Sword & Shield’s Last Card Expansion
If the past release schedule is any indication of how the final quarter of 2021 will play out, it’s likely that Pokémon TCG: Fusion Strike will be the last card release of the year. Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released on November 19, only about a week after the Fusion Strike Pokémon cards. The final Pokémon TCG: Sun and Moon expansion, Cosmic Eclipse, was released on November 1 of 2019, only a few weeks before the release of the Sword and Shield video games on November 15, after which the Sword and Shield TCG expansions took over for 2020’s first TCG release in February.
It’s likely that 2022’s release schedule for Pokémon cards will follow this same pattern after Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl release later this month, especially with the upcoming release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus in early 2022. With two new major games for the TCG to feature in its expansions, it’s unlikely that there will be more Sword and Shield content released after Fusion Strike in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.