Released on October 30, 2024, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket (Pokémon TCG Pocket) is a free-to-play mobile adaptation of the classic Pokémon Trading Card Game by Creatures Inc. and DeNA. The game has amassed significant popularity since its release, attracting Pokémon fans and hardcore collectors from around the world. Pokémon TCG Pocket surpassed 10 million downloads worldwide within two days of its launch, and by November 8, 2024, downloads exceeded 30 million. It reached the number one free game position on both the App Store and Google Play Store shortly after its October launch, which put it ahead of previous iconic titles such as Roblox and Monopoly Go.
Pokémon TCG Pocket introduces players to a mobile take on collecting Pokémon cards. They can open two booster packs every day for free, with each of them containing five cards to save and play with. The game also introduces “immersive cards” which feature unique dynamic 3D-like illustrations, and lets players compete in mobile battles. These battles feature decks that contain 20 cards instead of the traditional 60, with Energy cards replaced by an automatic energy gain each turn. In order to win these battles players must earn three points, which are collected after defeating opponent’s Pokémon.
Pokémon TCG Pocket has not allowed players to trade as of yet, but future plans for trading were recently revealed. The Pokémon TCG Pocket development team shared the specifics of the game’s upcoming trading features yesterday via a post on the game’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, claiming that “the team plans to diligently assess how trading will impact the player experience and the game once it is available.” The post includes a bullet point list describing the system’s probable features and limitations. The key takeaways of this list include trading being limited to in-game friends, trading having to be done with cards of the same rarity level, trading being limited to cards that are 1-4 Diamond and 1 Star, and items needing to be consumed before they are traded.
The trading feature will be incorporated at some point this January, although the specific date has not yet been announced. Anyone interested in downloading Pokémon TCG Pocket can do so for free via the App Store of Google Play Store.