Pokémon TCG players were caught off guard by one of the most unusual bans of 2026 so far. Medicham V has been officially banned from Japan’s Expanded format, effective February 20, 2026.
Medicham V
The announcement was posted on January 16 via the official Japanese Pokémon TCG website, but notably did not include an explanation for the decision. This has led to widespread speculation among players regarding the reasoning. Early commentary and community reactions can be found here.
Unlike many previous ban announcements, The Pokémon Company did not provide any commentary on gameplay balance, unintended interactions, or competitive impact. As a result, the community has been left to analyze recent Expanded format results and card interactions to determine what may have prompted the ruling.
Medicham V has not traditionally been viewed as a dominant force in the format, making the decision particularly surprising for competitive players.
With the ban taking effect on February 20, Expanded format players in Japan will need to adjust deck lists accordingly. It remains unclear whether this ruling will influence ban lists in other regions or formats.
As more information becomes available, we will continue to update coverage surrounding this decision.
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