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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Developer(s)Creatures Inc.
DeNA
Publisher(s)The Pokémon Company
Producer(s)Tetsuya Iguchi
Yuji Kitano
Keita Hirobe
SeriesPokémon
Platform(s)iOS, Android
ReleaseOctober 30, 2024
Genre(s)Digital collectible card game
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket (often abbreviated as Pokémon TCG Pocket) is a free-to-play mobile adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), developed by Creatures Inc. and DeNA, and published by The Pokémon Company. The game was revealed on February 27, 2024 during a Pokémon Presents presentation and officially released on October 30, 2024, on both iOS and Android devices. Pokémon TCG Pocket serves as a mobile adaptation of the traditional trading card game, allowing players to collect cards, build decks, and engage in battles against other players. The game incorporates features designed for mobile gameplay, including daily rewards, while maintaining the core mechanics of the original TCG.

The game has received generally positive reviews from critics, who highlighted its accessibility and ease of use, though its free to play mechanics have been criticized. As of February 2025, the game has been downloaded more than 100 million times, having additionally made over $500 million USD in revenue. The game was nominated for "Best Mobile Game" at The Game Awards 2024.

Gameplay

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Main article: Pokémon Trading Card Game § Gameplay

Pokémon TCG Pocket centers around opening digital booster packs and collecting the cards inside.[1] Later on, the player can build decks with the cards to battle against other players.[2] A booster pack contains five cards and can be opened every 12 hours, which can be reduced by an hour with "Hourglasses". Multiple hourglasses can be used to reduce the waiting time further, but once a pack is opened, it will go back to 12 hours. A monthly "Premium Pass" subscription lets the player open an extra pack each day.[2] Players receive pack points from opening packs, which players can exchange for individual cards in an in-game shop.[3] In addition to opening packs, the player can use a "Wonder Pick", in which the player will get one random card out of a pack another player had opened.[1] Additional features include players being able to view their card collection, build a deck of cards for use in battle, and the ability to make friends with other players of the game.[3]

A battle in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. The player's Marowak EX is in the active slot, while an Onix is on their bench.

Battling consists of a simplified version of the physical card game.[1] Players put one Pokémon in combat while others remain on the "bench". Players draw cards and obtain one energy each turn.[4] Energy is used to allow Pokémon to attack.[2] Pokémon can be evolved into stronger forms while other cards can be used to provide support for cards on the field, which can give players an edge in battle.[4] Players attempt to use their Pokémon to deal damage and deplete the health of opposing Pokémon.[3] A player wins when they get three points, which are awarded for defeating Pokémon.[1] Players can battle against other players online. Ranked, competitive online battles, which use a leaderboard, were added to the game in March 2025.[5]

Trading in Pokémon TCG Pocket allows players to exchange cards with friends, requiring both Trade Tokens, which can be replenished by trading in-game items, and Trade Stamina, which regenerate over time or can be replenished with trade hourglasses.[6] However, trades are subject to several restrictions: cards must be of the same rarity, and certain high-rarity or promotional cards cannot be traded. Additionally, cards with special flair must be exchanged for others with flair, and players can only have one active trade at a time. A setting also allows players to disable incoming trade offers.[7] An update for the game plans to change various aspects of this system by removing trade tokens, with shinedust, an in-game currency used to add "flair" to a card, being used in its place as trading currency.[8]

The game initially released with one expansion, "Genetic Apex", upon its release, split among three pack types that contain different cards.[9] A second expansion, dubbed "Mythical Island", was released in December 2024.[10] Mythical Island was followed by the release of the "Space-Time Smackdown" expansion in January 2025, which focused on Pokémon and characters introduced in the 2006 games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.[11] Another expansion, titled "Triumphant Light" was released the following month, focusing on the Pokémon Arceus.[12] "Shining Revelry" was released in March 2025, focusing on Pokémon and characters featured in the 2022 games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.[13]

Development and release

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The concept for an app dedicated exclusively to digital Pokémon cards began to take shape around the time of Pokémon Go's initial release.[14] Executive corporate officer Keita Hirobe stated that making the game more approachable and maintaining a low barrier to entry were two of The Pokémon Company's primary objectives during development.[14] An emphasis was placed on "the fun of opening packs and collecting cards".[1] During development, developer DeNA renamed its subsidiary, DeNA Digital Productions, to Pokémon Card D Studio, with the name change taking effect in April 2024. This was done to refocus development on the production of the game.[15]

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was revealed on February 27, 2024 during a Pokémon Presents.[16] The game's announcements caused a significant increase in developer DeNA's share price.[17] At the closing ceremonies of the Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii, a new trailer for the game was released, revealing its official release date of October 30, 2024.[18] In August, the Pokémon Company announced over 6 million people had pre-registered for the game.[19] Shortly before release, a commemorative event was held in Japan showcasing the game, explaining the game's mechanics and featuring a demonstration of its gameplay,[20] and advertisements were filmed and released featuring actress Sairi Ito.[21]

Upon the game's release, it quickly garnered 2 million downloads in its first day.[22] By November, it had been downloaded 30 million times,[23] and within six weeks of release, it had been downloaded over 60 million times.[24] By February 2025, the game had been downloaded more than 100 million times.[22] In December 2024, developer DeNA stating that the game was among its highest in terms of player retention.[25] The game partnered with American fast food chain McDonald's for a promotion in January 2025, with Happy Meals including physical Pokémon cards as well as digital in-game rewards.[26]

Reception

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Pokémon Trading Game Pocket received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[27] Chris Tapsell, writing for Eurogamer, spoke positively of the game, praising its reward system, friendliness to players who did not wish to spend money, and player versus player battling system.[9] Ana Diaz, writing for Polygon highlighted the game's daily log-in system, finding it accessible and rewarding for players who did not have much time to sink into the game.[28] Jordan Minor, writing for PCMag highlighted the game for taking advantage of several mechanics that were intrinsic to the original Trading Card Game's success, including the suspense of opening trading card boosters and the community aspect of sharing and trading cards. He criticized the game's battling system, finding it dull and uninteresting compared to the rest of the game.[4] Writing for Pocket Gamer, Jupiter Hadley highlighted the game's introduction to battling, finding it friendly to series beginners.[29]

Moises Taveras, writing in a review of the game for Kotaku, found that the game, while entertaining and fun, was similar to other similar gacha games, and found its card obtainment system to revolve too heavily around those mechanics. They believed that it ruined their enjoyment of the game, as it was a game unlikely to remain active if it was not making money.[30] Minor also criticized the game's gacha game model,[4] as did Hadley, who disliked the amount of waiting the game involved to obtain rewards.[29] Donovan Erskine, writing for Shacknews, found the game's gameplay loop and desire to obtain new cards to be preying on players' desire to obtain new cards, stating that the ease of accessibility compared to physical cards made the game easier to subsequently spend money on.[31] Keza MacDonald, writing in a positive review for The Guardian, stated that the game's "free to play" model was not overly intrusive for players, finding the game's system preferable to physical cards.[32]

Among players, Pocket Gamer cited the game as being "the closest thing to Pokémania since 2016’s Pokémon Go", attributing the game's comparative success to other Pokémon mobile titles as being due to the game's nostalgia factor, as the original launch of cards predominantly used species found in the first Pokémon series games, as well as more recent and recognizable fan favorite Pokémon. The inclusion of Mew, unlockable via a secret quest, was also cited as being at the forefront of various "playground rumors" regarding the game, which helped elicit the same feeling of nostalgia.[33] Jakub Remiar, in another article for the site, found that the game's nostalgia helped lure in people who had played the original games growing up, with its accessibility for newer players allowing it to rope in those same players.[34] MacDonald also cited this sentiment, believing the game also had appeal due to being the first of the Trading Card Game's attempts to expand onto mobile phones to be received positively.[32] Joshua Yehl, conversely, wrote for IGN that the differences between Pocket's gameplay and the main card game's had alienated some players, especially due to the recent release of Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, which directly adapted the game's gameplay for a mobile client but was met with negative reviews. Yehl stated that the community wanted a more direct adaptation, though stated that some felt the game helped provide a jumping off point for players who wanted to get into the card game but were put-off by the main game's more complicated ruleset.[35]

The introduction of the game's trading system caused minor controversy within the game's player base, as many disliked the requirement of a "stamina" system to trade, as well as restrictions placed on which cards could be traded. Many players cancelled their premium subscriptions for the game in protest.[36] The protest resulted in changes to the system being announced by the developers.[8]

The game was nominated for "Best Mobile Game" at The Game Awards 2024.[37]

Revenue

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There was initially concern the game would not fare well financially due to the presence of a pre-existing Pokémon Trading Card Game mobile game in the form of Pokémon Trading Card Game Live.[38] The game's initial soft launch in New Zealand in September 2024 was small, earning $15,000 USD in daily spending. When the game released worldwide in October 2024, it grossed $2.7 million USD in its first day, and its first week was the second strongest for earnings in the Pokémon franchise's mobile game history.[39] In the game's first seventeen days of release, it had already earned over $100 million USD.[40] Within the game's first month, it had already surpassed $200 million USD in earnings,[41] with an estimated $3 million being earned per day, earning more money than fellow Pokémon mobile game Pokémon Go was in the same period by nearly three times as much.[42] Within ten weeks, the game had breached $400 million USD in earnings,[40] and though spending dipped briefly in January 2025,[43] the release of the Space-Time Smackdown expansion caused an increase in player spending that brought the game's earnings to over $500 million USD.[40] The introduction of Shiny Pokémon to the game saw a spending increase of 265% among the game's player base.[44]

The game's revenue has caused DeNA's profits to grow significantly, with the company reporting a 8,126.8% increase partially the result of the game.[45]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Mamon, Mike (September 19, 2024). "Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Is A Snazzy Way to Carry a Pokemon Card Binder in Your Pocket". IGN. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Colantonio, Giovanni (October 31, 2024). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is nostalgic fun with red flags". Digital Trends. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Shah, Saqib (November 12, 2024). "Your ultimate guide to Pokémon TCG Pocket". London Evening Standard. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Minor, Jordan (November 1, 2024). "Pokemon TCG Pocket Review". PCMag. Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Yu, Johnny (March 28, 2025). "How Ranked Matches work in Pokémon TCG Pocket". Polygon. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Diaz, Ana (January 29, 2025). "How to get Trade Tokens and recover Trade Stamina in Pokémon TCG Pocket". Polygon. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  7. ^ Yu, Johnny (January 29, 2025). "How trading works in Pokémon TCG Pocket, including trade rules and restrictions". Polygon. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Valentine, Rebekah (March 14, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket Confirms Changes to Much-Loathed Trading System Are Coming... Eventually". IGN. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Tapsell, Chris (November 15, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket review - uh oh, it's really good". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  10. ^ Reynolds, Ollie (December 17, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket 'Mythical Island' Expansion Out Now, Adds Over 80 Cards". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  11. ^ Astle, Aaron (January 23, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket's Space-Time Smackdown will shift to 2000s nostalgia with 140+ new cards". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  12. ^ Van Allen, Eric (February 27, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket's Next Expansion, Triumphant Light, Is Out Tomorrow". IGN Africa. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  13. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (March 21, 2025). "Shiny Pokémon, ranked matches coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket next week". Polygon. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Pulliam-Moore, Charles (September 19, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket wants to be a gateway to digital card collecting". The Verge. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  15. ^ "DeNAデジタルプロダクションの社名が"ポケモンカード・ディー・スタジオ"に変更。『ポケモントレーディングカードポケット』の開発に特化し、グローバルでの安定したサービス提供の実現を目指す | ファミ通App【スマホゲーム情報サイト】". ファミ通App (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (February 27, 2024). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Announced, Brings the TCG to Mobile in 2024". IGN. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Astle, Aaron (December 4, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket matches 91% of Pokémon Go's launch month revenue through the power of playground rumours". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  18. ^ DeFreitas, Casey (August 19, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket Release Date Set for October". IGN. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Doolan, Liam (October 18, 2024). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Surpasses Six Million Pre-Registrations". Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  20. ^ "【ポケポケ】リリース直前！『ポケモントレーディングカードゲームポケット』配信記念イベントリポート | ファミ通App【スマホゲーム情報サイト】". ファミ通App (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "『ポケモントレーディングカードゲームポケット（ポケポケ）』新CM3種が配信日当日より放送。撮影エピソードや伊藤沙莉さんへのインタビューも公開 | ファミ通App【スマホゲーム情報サイト】". ファミ通App (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Muhammad, Isa (February 28, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses 100 million downloads". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  23. ^ Chandler, Sam (November 7, 2024). "Pokemon TCG Pocket has been downloaded over 30 million times". Shacknews. Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  24. ^ France-Presse, Agence (December 19, 2024). "New Pokémon mobile game downloaded over 60 million times in 6 weeks". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  25. ^ Astle, Aaron (February 12, 2025). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has a "very high retention rate compared to other DeNA games"". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  26. ^ Astle, Aaron (January 23, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket partners with McDonald's as player spending hits record low". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  27. ^ "Pokemon TCG Pocket Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  28. ^ Diaz, Ana (November 8, 2024). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket won't rock your world, and that's OK". Polygon. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  29. ^ a b Hadley, Jupiter (October 31, 2024). "Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket review - "I hate waiting"". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on October 31, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  30. ^ Taveras, Moises (October 31, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket Already Feels Like A Well-Laid Trap". Kotaku. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  31. ^ Erskine, Donovan (November 23, 2024). "Pokemon TCG Pocket Review: Just one more pack..." Shacknews. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  32. ^ a b MacDonald, Keza (November 7, 2024). "At 36 years old, I am once again obsessed with Pokémon cards – this time on my phone". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  33. ^ Astle, Aaron (December 4, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket matches 91% of Pokémon Go's launch month revenue through the power of playground rumours". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  34. ^ Remiar, Jakub (November 21, 2024). "Game Analysis: The winning formula behind Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  35. ^ Yehl, Joshua (February 27, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket Is the Right Game at the Wrong Time". IGN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  36. ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan. "The 'Pokémon TCG Pocket' Trading System Is So Bad Players Are Revolting". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  37. ^ ""Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Celebrates 60 Million Downloads Since Launching in October 2024" - The Pokémon Company North America Official Press Site". Press.Pokemon.com. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  38. ^ Staff, PocketGamer biz (November 22, 2024). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket breaks out, industry investment returns, Ever Crisis hits $100m | Week in Views". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  39. ^ Astle, Aaron (December 4, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket matches 91% of Pokémon Go's launch month revenue through the power of playground rumours". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  40. ^ a b c Astle, Aaron (January 9, 2025). "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket smashes $400 million in 10 weeks". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  41. ^ Kennedy, Victoria (December 3, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket reportedly surpassed $200m in first month". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  42. ^ Norman, Jim (November 4, 2024). "Pokémon TCG Pocket Is Reportedly Already Bringing In The Big Bucks". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  43. ^ Astle, Aaron (January 23, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket partners with McDonald's as player spending hits record low". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  44. ^ Astle, Aaron (April 1, 2025). "Pokémon TCG Pocket's first shiny cards trigger 265% spending surge". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  45. ^ Astle, Aaron (February 12, 2025). "DeNA's games business profits up 8,126.8% after Pokémon TCG Pocket's success". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
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