Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the company is taking measures to address widespread scalping of Pokémon trading cards after reports of product shortages and thefts.

The Pokémon Company has produced 85 billion cards to date, with 10 billion manufactured in 2025 alone, a figure that exceeds the world’s population yet still falls short of demand.

Production has risen in recent years, with 43 billion cards printed between October 1996 and March 2022 and an equivalent amount released in the past four years.

Upcoming plans include a 30th‑anniversary set scheduled for September, which may further increase demand.

Furukawa made the remarks at a recent shareholder annual general meeting, stating that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are aware of instances where limited‑quantity cards are purchased in large volumes and resold at higher prices.

He said the companies are responding with made‑to‑order sales, agreements with marketplace operators, and an account‑verification system that uses Japan’s My Number Card for online priority drawings.

Incidents of scalping‑related crime have been reported, including overnight break‑ins at trading card stores, an armed robbery at a New York shop that left staff and customers held at gunpoint, and the arrest of a Florida man suspected of stealing $12,000 worth of cards with a battery‑powered chainsaw, as well as a Pasadena man arrested after hiding in a closed Best Buy before a card drop.

The company added that it will continue to discuss appropriate delivery methods with The Pokémon Company as needed.