Violence at Pokémon card release in Costco

A recent Pokémon card release at Costco in Mississauga, Ontario, led to violent incidents that required police intervention. The incident took place on April 15, 2026, around 6:45 a.m., while a crowd of 30 to 40 people lined up for the new Prismatic Evolutions drop.

Incident details

According to video footage shared on social media, the situation was chaotic. One person threw coffee at a cart loaded with boxes of Pokémon cards. After that, a car drove into the cart, scattering the cards across the parking lot, and then ran over the cards before speeding away. Police involvement followed almost immediately, with multiple police vehicles chasing the fleeing car.

The rising violence and chaos are most likely the result of huge demand for Pokémon cards, which can be resold for significant profit on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. That demand has led to similar incidents in the past, as passionate collectors and investors compete aggressively for new stock.

Recurring issues

This is not the first time there has been unrest at Pokémon card releases at Costco. Previous reports point to similar situations, including earlier this year, when the same location also saw