TL;DR: Pokémon Masters EX is celebrating the franchise’s 30th anniversary with three new Sync Pairs. Red and his original 1996 Pikachu are available now through April 12. Florian with Ogerpon arrives February 28, and Juliana with Terapagos follows on March 2. All players who log in before March 31 receive a free 3,000 gem bonus.
Pokémon Masters EX is marking one of the biggest milestones in franchise history with one of its most iconic Sync Pair additions yet. The Pokémon Day 2026 celebration introduces a version of Red and Pikachu as they appeared in the original 1996 Pokémon games, alongside anniversary Sync Pairs featuring Florian with Ogerpon and Juliana with Terapagos from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC. Icy Veins The update also arrives during a double milestone for the mobile title itself — Pokémon Masters EX is simultaneously celebrating its own 6.5th anniversary alongside the franchise’s 30th.
February 27, 2026 marks 30 years since the original Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan in 1996, and The Pokémon Company used the occasion to deliver franchise-wide announcements spanning every major Pokémon title. For Masters EX players, the highlight is unambiguous: the return of the franchise’s most legendary Trainer in his most historically authentic form.
Red’s Classic 1996 Design Joins as an EX Master Sync Pair
Red and Pikachu are available in their featured Sync Pair scout from February 27, 2026 at 6:20 AM PST through April 12, 2026 at 10:59 PM PDT. Master of Warcraft This version of Red is based directly on his sprite design from Pokémon Red and Blue — distinct from his previous appearances in Masters EX, which have included his FireRed and LeafGreen look, a Champion variant, and an Anniversary 2025 iteration. The 1996 design is the most nostalgic and historically grounded version of the character added to the game to date.
Red enters as an EX Master Sync Pair, the game’s highest designation, placing him among the most powerful characters available in Pokémon Masters EX’s current roster. Fans can scout for him through the game’s standard gacha system for the duration of the event window.
Florian, Juliana, and the Full Anniversary Lineup
Red is not the only new addition coming during the 30th anniversary celebration. Florian with Ogerpon is available in a featured scout from February 27, 2026 at 10:00 PM PST through April 8, 2026 at 10:59 PM PDT. Juliana with Terapagos follows in her featured scout opening on March 1, 2026 at 10:00 PM PST, also running through April 8. Master of Warcraft
Both are anniversary 2026 variant Sync Pairs, adding the protagonists of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to the anniversary roster alongside their respective Legendary partners from the Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk DLC expansions. The inclusion of Ogerpon and Terapagos gives both pairs immediate visual and mechanical distinctiveness, separating them from any future standard versions of these characters that may arrive down the line.
Free 3,000 Gems Login Bonus and Photo Missions
All players who log in to Pokémon Masters EX before March 31 will receive a free 3,000 gem login bonus, and special photo missions are live right now. World of Warcraft For context, 3,000 gems in Masters EX provides a meaningful supplement toward additional scouting attempts, giving even non-paying players a tangible path to chase one of the three new Sync Pairs introduced this month.
The photo missions add a light interactive element to the celebration, fitting the 30th anniversary’s broader theme of looking back at the franchise’s history while engaging with its current form.
What Else Was Announced for the Pokémon Franchise’s 30th Anniversary
The Red and Pikachu reveal was part of a much larger Pokémon Presents broadcast on February 27. Several major announcements across the wider franchise accompanied the Masters EX updates. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are being re-released on Nintendo Switch Online, giving the anniversary a direct connection to the era Red’s new 1996 design represents. A Pokémon Red and Blue Game Boy Jukebox music player has also been released, featuring the original game soundtracks.
On the upcoming releases front, Pokémon Champions received a confirmed April 2026 release date on Nintendo Switch, with mobile to follow. Most significantly, Game Freak revealed Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves — the 10th Generation mainline entries — for a global simultaneous launch on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027, showcasing the new region’s main characters, a pair of special Pikachu with a brand-new look, and the three new first partner Pokémon. Master of Warcraft The new starters are named Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua.
For players active in other Pokémon games, Pokémon GO is celebrating its own 10th anniversary with the All Out event running from March 7 to 9 — full details are available in our Pokémon GO March 2026 Community Day guide. Pokémon UNITE also received a major 30th anniversary update, detailed in our coverage of Pokémon UNITE adding the three Legendary Birds and Johto starters.
Final Thoughts
The Red and Pikachu 1996 Sync Pair is the kind of anniversary addition that lands precisely because of what it represents. Red has appeared in Masters EX in multiple forms, but his original Game Boy sprite-inspired design ties directly to the 30 years being celebrated this week. Combined with the Florian and Juliana anniversary pairs, the free gem login bonus, and the broader franchise announcements surrounding it, this is one of Pokémon Masters EX’s most complete anniversary update packages to date. The scout window is open now — trainers have until April 12 to add the original Red to their roster.
For more gaming news this week, check out the full rundown on the Fortnite x Resident Evil Requiem Grace Ashcroft skin release date and the Xbox February 2026 system update.
