Tool cards!

Pokemon has released information regarding the standard format rotation. The Standard format cycle for Play! Pokémon in-person events will start on April 14, 2023 (Pokémon International Championships Europe (London) starts on April 14, 2023). The Standard format rotation will start for digital play on Pokémon TCG Live on March 30, 2023.

The 2023 Standard format will no longer allow the use of cards with the "D" regulation mark. It will be acceptable to utilize cards with the "E" and "F" regulation marks (as will any future regulation marks that may be released).

What is a rotation in the Pokemon TCG (Standard) format?

At the beginning of every Championship Series season, Pokémon Organized Play removes outdated expansions from play in the Standard format with the purpose of preserving a healthy competitive environment. This rotation challenges existing players to devise new strategies and lets new players to get engaged in Play! Pokémon events using the most recent releases.

The full statement from TPCi:

"The Standard Format for 2023

As briefly mentioned in April 2021, cards with the “D” regulation mark will no longer be legal for play in the 2023 Standard format. Cards with “E” and “F” regulation marks will be legal to use (as will any future regulation marks that may be released). A card’s legality status is no longer based on which expansion it’s from. Even if a card is from a recently released expansion, players will need to refer to the regulation mark on the bottom of the card to see whether that card is legal for play. New cards still must follow the appropriate waiting period to become tournament legal, which is typically two weeks after their release.

For in-person Play! Pokémon events, the Standard format rotation will go into effect on April 14, 2023. For digital play on Pokémon TCG Live, the Standard format rotation will go into effect on March 30, 2023. This will give players an official platform to test out the new Standard format before participating in any in-person events.

Older versions of cards that don’t have a regulation mark can still be used if the card is currently legal for play. For example, the card Rare Candy from the Sun & Moon expansion can still be used because the card Rare Candy from the Pokémon TCG: Pokémon GO expansion has an “F” regulation mark. And even though the card Boss’s Orders (Giovanni) from the Sword & Shield—Rebel Clash expansion has a “D” regulation mark (which is rotating out of the Standard format), it can still be used because the card Boss’s Orders (Cyrus) from the Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars expansion has an “F” regulation mark. Be sure to check the Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook for further clarification on which reprints are OK to use.

The Expanded Format for 2023

The Expanded format will remain unchanged, maintaining the Black & White Series and forward. Players should double-check what format is being used before choosing a deck to bring to their events. Just like the Standard format, new expansions become legal for tournament play two weeks after release.

Please note that several cards are currently banned from the Expanded format. You can find the list of banned cards here.

Pokémon Tool Card Errata

In the past, Pokémon Tool cards were considered a subcategory of Item cards. When the Scarlet & Violet expansion becomes legal for play, all Pokémon Tool cards will receive errata. Moving forward, Pokémon Tool will be its own category of Trainer card. That means there will be four categories of Trainer cards: Item, Supporter, Stadium, and Pokémon Tool.