McDonald’s Japan has issued a public apology after a special Pokémon Happy Set campaign caused chaos, from mass buying and food waste to outraged fans and chaotic scenes at multiple stores.

Between August 9 and 11, the fast-food chain ran a limited-time promotion: each Happy Set included two Pokémon cards, one being an exclusive Pikachu card and the other randomly selected from a small set of characters. This campaign was intended to delight families and kids—but instead sparked a frenzy.

Despite a per-person purchase limit of five sets, many customers—including resellers—ignored the spirit of the rule. They bought in bulk, reselling cards online for hefty sums, sometimes dozens or even hundreds of dollars. Meanwhile, untouched meals were often thrown away or found abandoned inside and around stores, creating frustration among real fans and residents.

The morning of August 9 saw unprecedented crowding and long queues. Within hours, stores reported being sold out, prompting McDonald’s to halt the card giveaway earlier than planned.

In its apology, McDonald’s acknowledged that this outcome ran contrary to its founding mission of delivering a fun, family-focused dining experience. The company admitted its preparations were inadequate and took responsibility for the disruption caused, especially affecting its customers, staff, neighbouring residents, and franchise owners.

To prevent a repeat, McDonald’s announced several new measures:

• Stricter purchase limits, possibly even fewer than five sets per person, during future promotions.
• Restrictions on mobile and delivery orders, which had contributed to the bulk-buying problem.
• Refusing sales to customers who don’t follow rules—including those who line up repeatedly, buy beyond limits, or act aggressively toward staff.
• Account removal from the official app for customers found to abuse the system.
• Requests to online marketplace operators to help prevent hoarding or reselling behaviour by ill-intentioned buyers.