Mega Evolution: Pitch Black (July 17) — Preorder Guide & Cheapest Prices

Mega Evolution: Pitch Black releases on July 17, 2026 — the fifth expansion of the Mega Evolution era. After Chaos Rising sold out in minutes and Ascended Heroes ETBs vanished in hours, preorder demand for Pitch Black is already running hot.

Preorder prices are all over the place

This is the single most important thing to understand about hype-set preorders: stores price the same box very differently during the preorder window. Some price at MSRP to reward regulars; others price to demand. In the Chaos Rising window we saw the same Booster Box listed anywhere from MSRP to roughly 25% above it — at the same time.

That spread is free money if you compare first:

• [Search Pitch Black in the sealed database](/sealed?q=pitch%20black) — every store listing we track, cheapest first, in your local currency.
• [Check the Drops & restocks hub](/restock) — new and upcoming sets with the cheapest live Booster Box and ETB preorder per country.

Should you preorder or wait?

Honest answer: it depends which product.

• Booster Boxes / ETBs at or near MSRP — preordering is usually the safe play for a hyped era. Worst case, supply is fine and you paid retail.
• Anything well above MSRP — be patient. Modern sets get multiple print waves; Chaos Rising-level sellouts are the exception, not the rule, and restocks do come (our restock tracker logs them as they happen).
• Just want specific cards? Skip sealed entirely — once the set is out, [buying the singles](/browse) you actually want is almost always cheaper than gambling on packs.

The 30-second routine before any preorder

1. Open the [sealed compare page](/sealed?q=pitch%20black) for the product.
2. Check the spread — if the cheapest in-stock store is near MSRP, take it.
3. If everything is gouged, set a [restock alert](/restock) instead and let the email come to you.

Prices update daily across every store we track in Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK.