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Palworld's New Trading Card Game Hit by Scalping Surge as Rare Cards Fetch Thousands

3 outlets8/8/2026

The short version

Just days after launch, Pocketpair's Palworld Official Card Game is seeing its rarest cards resold online for as much as $4,000, echoing the scalping patterns long associated with Pokémon cards.

via IGN

Pocketpair's Palworld Official Card Game, part of a set called Dawn of Palpagos that was announced in January 2026, launched on July 30, 2026. According to GamesRadar+, the set reportedly sold over 3.5 million packs on release day, while Polygon cites the same 3.5 million pack figure as having been reached by early July — the two outlets differ on the exact timing of that sales milestone.

Despite the strong sales, resellers quickly moved in. GamesRadar+ reports that the rarest card in the set, the Cattiva Gold Soul, sold on eBay for nearly $4,000 three days before the official launch, with several more copies since selling for around $1,000, though some listed prices are obscured by accepted offers. Polygon similarly notes the Cattiva Gold Soul sold for $4,000 before launch, but says a perfectly centered copy has since dropped to $999 — a roughly 75% decline. Another card, Chillet Dragon Whisperer, sold for $1,400 the day before launch and has since settled to around $1,100, per GamesRadar+. Polygon also notes cards for Chillet and Jormuntide selling for thousands of dollars in the immediate aftermath of release.

Polygon reports that many local card shops are already sold out of Palworld TCG product. It also points to a broader pattern in trading card markets: prices tend to spike before and immediately after a set's release due to buyer urgency and fear of missing out, then stabilize over subsequent weeks. As an example, Polygon cites a Pokémon card, the Morpeko special illustration, which sold for $200 before retail release and has since dropped about 35% to roughly $127 a couple weeks later.

Both outlets connect the Palworld TCG's price surge to ongoing frustrations with the Pokémon card market, where scalping has made it difficult for collectors to buy packs at normal prices. GamesRadar+ notes that Palworld has faced criticism for following in Pokémon's footsteps, calling the inflated resale prices unhelpful to that perception, while Polygon notes some see the game's designs as a "rip off" of Pokémon despite the TCG's strong reception so far. Polygon also draws a comparison to scalping surges seen previously with the Lorcana and One Piece card games, suggesting a similar crisis could take hold for Palworld if demand remains high.

GamesRadar+ cautions that asking prices seen online can be misleading, noting that actual sold prices are the more accurate reflection of what buyers are truly willing to pay. Both outlets agree the situation remains fluid just one day after launch, with Polygon suggesting it may take weeks for prices to fully stabilize as they have with other card games.

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Palworld Trading Card Game Scalping

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