Pokemon has its fingers in more pies than ever before following last year's 25th-anniversary celebrations, and let's be honest, it had them in a lot of pies already. On top of the new games it has launched over the course of the last 12 months, it has also added things like Oreos and Krispy Kreme doughnuts to its arsenal. Basically, if you want something with Pikachu's face on it, it probably exists.
The benefit of having so many Pokemon products, other than the vast amounts of money being made, is the ability to combine them with each other for special events and occasions. That's exactly what's happening with Pokemon Go and the Pokemon TCG later this year. Five years since Pokemon Go launched, it's actually a little surprising this hasn't happened before.
The crossover was announced this week and will arrive later this summer in the form of Pokemon cards based on Pokemon Go. As for what the crossover will include beyond that remains a mystery. Very little has been revealed other than it is actually happening. The packaging for the cards has been shown off, however, and includes images of Mewtwo, Blissey, Aipom as they look in Pokemon Go.
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The pack is also sporting a picture of Professor Willow who actually has a Pokemon card of his very own already. Willow's solitary card is the only way Pokemon cards and Pokemon Go have ever crossed over in the past. This combo will be far more extensive and ambitious and could even bring a lot of lapsed or maybe even new fans back to Pokemon's TCG, especially considering how popular Pokemon Go remains five years into its run.
That's largely down to the constant additions and updates Niantic makes to Pokemon Go. Its Johto event takes place later this month, and it also got its first Hisuian form Pokemon recently via the addition of Voltorb. Perhaps the new form of Pokemon introduced via Legends: Arceus will be one of the Pokemon to get its own Pokemon Go card when the crossover launches this summer. No exact dates have been given just yet.