Mega Excadrill ex from "Abyss Eye" Revealed!

Mega Excadrill ex from "Abyss Eye" Revealed!

TL;DR

The Pokémon TCG's upcoming Abyss Eye set, releasing May 22, 2026, has revealed Mega Excadrill ex, a powerful new card that will anchor the English-language Pitch expansion. This marks the first Mega Evolution ex card in the current Scarlet & Violet era, signaling Game Freak's intent to reintroduce Mega mechanics into competitive play.

What Happened

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, PokeBeach broke the exclusive reveal of Mega Excadrill ex from the Japanese Abyss Eye set, due for release on May 22, 2026. The card, which evolves from Excadrill ex, represents the first concrete look at how Mega Evolution is being re-integrated into the Pokémon Trading Card Game after a multi-year absence from the standard rotation.

Key Facts

• The card is named Mega Excadrill ex, a Mega Evolution of the existing Excadrill ex, and will debut in the Japanese Abyss Eye set on May 22, 2026.
• Abyss Eye cards will form part of the English-language set Pitch, though the exact release date for Pitch has not yet been announced by The Pokémon Company.
• Mega Excadrill ex retains the Fighting type, consistent with its pre-evolution, and is expected to feature a Mega Evolution rule requiring a Mega Stone item card to be attached.
• The reveal was first published by PokeBeach, a leading Pokémon TCG news outlet, which has a track record of accurate set leaks and official previews.
• This is the first Mega Evolution ex card revealed for the Scarlet & Violet era, which began in 2023 and has so far focused on ex Pokémon and Terastallization mechanics.
• The Abyss Eye set is the second Japanese expansion of 2026, following Crimson Haze in January, and is expected to contain approximately 60–70 cards.
• Mega Excadrill ex is likely to have a high HP total (historically 280–320 for Mega ex cards) and a powerful attack with a significant energy cost, typical of Mega Evolution mechanics.

Breaking It Down

The return of Mega Evolution to the Pokémon TCG is not merely a nostalgic callback—it is a strategic pivot by The Pokémon Company to reinvigorate a competitive format that has been dominated by single-Prize and two-Prize ex cards since 2023. Mega Evolution cards, when they last appeared in the XY era (2014–2016), fundamentally altered game pacing by offering massive HP pools and devastating attacks at the cost of requiring a specific item card (the Mega Stone) and ending the player's turn after evolving.

Mega Evolution ex cards historically carried 280–320 HP, compared to standard ex cards' 210–250 HP, and awarded three Prize cards when knocked out—a 50% increase over standard ex cards.

This triple-Prize liability means Mega Excadrill ex will demand a radically different deck-building philosophy than current meta staples like Charizard ex or Gardevoir ex. Players will need to weigh the risk of giving up three Prizes against the reward of a Pokémon that can likely one-shot any current ex in the format. The inclusion of a Mega Stone item card also creates a critical vulnerability: if the opponent uses a card like Path to the Peak or Lost Vacuum to remove the tool, the Mega Evolution cannot attack effectively.

The design choice to make Excadrill—a Ground/Steel-type Pokémon originally from the Unova region—the first Mega Evolution ex of this era is telling. Excadrill has long been a fan-favorite competitive Pokémon in both the video games and TCG, prized for its high Attack stat and utility. In the TCG, Excadrill has appeared in multiple forms since the Black & White era, often as a stage 1 Fighting-type with solid damage output. Elevating it to Mega Evolution ex status suggests The Pokémon Company is testing the waters with a mid-tier popularity Pokémon before committing to fan-favorite Mega Evolutions like Mewtwo, Charizard, or Rayquaza.

What Comes Next

The Abyss Eye set release on May 22, 2026 is just the beginning. Here is what to watch in the coming weeks and months:

1. Full Card List (Late April–Early May 2026): Expect PokeBeach and other outlets to reveal the complete Abyss Eye card list, including other Mega Evolution ex cards, Trainer cards, and potential reprints. The presence of a Mega Stone item card (likely "Excadrillite" or a generic "Mega Stone") will be critical to confirm.

2. English Pitch Set Announcement (May 2026): The Pokémon Company International will likely announce the Pitch expansion in early May, including its release date (probably August–September 2026) and full card list. Pitch is expected to combine Abyss Eye with another Japanese set, Crimson Haze, or a new mini-set.

3. Competitive Play Testing (June–July 2026): Top players and content creators will begin testing Mega Excadrill ex in the Standard format once Abyss Eye releases in Japan. Watch for early tournament results from Japan's Champions League or City Leagues to gauge the card's viability.

4. Regulation Mark Rotation (2027): The current Regulation Mark F (from Scarlet & Violet base set) is expected to rotate out in early 2027. If Pitch carries a Regulation Mark G, Mega Excadrill ex would have a two-year competitive lifespan, making it a long-term investment for players.

The Bigger Picture

This reveal sits at the intersection of two major trends in the Pokémon TCG: Mechanical Revival and Set Structure Consolidation.

Mechanical Revival refers to The Pokémon Company's strategy of bringing back beloved game mechanics from previous generations. The XY era's Mega Evolution, Sun & Moon's GX attacks, and Sword & Shield's VMAX/VSTAR all made the TCG more dynamic but also more complex. By reintroducing Mega Evolution ex, TPCi is banking on nostalgia driving sales while also addressing the current format's lack of high-risk, high-reward plays. This mirrors how Pokémon GO revived interest in 2016 and how Legends: Arceus revived the video game franchise in 2022.

Set Structure Consolidation is the second trend. The Pokémon Company has been steadily reducing the number of standalone Japanese sets that compose each English expansion. Whereas Scarlet & Violet base set drew from four Japanese sets, Abyss Eye and Crimson Haze appear to be merging into just two English sets (Pitch and possibly another). This creates higher card density in each English release, making booster boxes more valuable but also more expensive for collectors.

Key Takeaways

• [Mega Evolution Returns]: Mega Excadrill ex is the first Mega Evolution ex card of the Scarlet & Violet era, reintroducing a high-risk, high-reward mechanic that awards three Prize cards when knocked out.
• [Release Timeline]: The card debuts in Japan's Abyss Eye set on May 22, 2026, and will appear in the English Pitch expansion later that year.
• [Competitive Impact]: With 280–320 HP and a likely one-shot attack, Mega Excadrill ex could reshape the Standard format—but its reliance on a Mega Stone creates a clear counter-strategy.
• [Strategic Pivot]: The Pokémon Company is using a mid-tier Pokémon like Excadrill to test player reception before committing to iconic Mega Evolutions like Charizard or Mewtwo.