The first expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet Series arrives on March 31, 2023, but you can visit your local game store to start playing with it early! Starting March 17, 2023, select retailers will begin selling the Scarlet & Violet Build & Battle Box, giving fans a chance to have a Prerelease battle and experience the latest expansion before its official release date.

The Prerelease format allows players to compete with a 40-card deck, with four Prize cards set aside at the start of play, as opposed to a 60-card deck with six Prize cards. This format is perfect for introducing new players to the exciting world of the Pokémon TCG with quick, fun games, and it also gives seasoned players a window into all that Scarlet & Violet has to offer. Due to a limited card pool and the variance of cards that can be acquired in a Build & Battle Box, Prerelease events are also a great opportunity to flex your creative deck-building skills.

Each Build & Battle Box includes four Scarlet & Violet booster packs and a 40-card ready-to-play deck featuring key cards from the new set, as well as one of four unique foil promo cards to boost your Prerelease deck. Depending on which promo card you get, you could add the high-energy Quaquaval, electrifying Pawmot, scrappy Hawlucha, or rambunctious Revavroom. Whichever promo you do end up with, it will certainly shape your Prerelease strategy!