DeNA, the developers behind Pokemon TCG Pocket, have committed to enhancing the game's trading feature following significant player feedback. Here’s a detailed look at the issues players have raised and the planned improvements.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Players’ Complaints About the Game’s Latest Update
The trading feature, introduced on January 29, 2025, has sparked considerable discontent among the Pokemon TCG Pocket community. The feature allows trading of 1-4 Diamonds and 1-Star rarity cards from Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs. While it was a step towards completing Poke Dex collections, players found the restrictions—such as limited card selections, the introduction of a new in-game currency, and high trading costs—frustrating.
In response to the widespread backlash, DeNA took to Twitter (X) on February 1, 2025, promising to refine the trading system. They aim to introduce "multiple ways to obtain trade tokens, including through event distributions." Currently, trade tokens, essential for trading, are only obtainable by sacrificing higher rarity cards. For example, trading a 4-Diamond card (an ex Pokemon) requires 500 tokens, which players can only acquire by sacrificing cards of higher rarity, such as 100 tokens for a 1-Star card and 300 for 2-Star and 3-Star cards. This system forces players to use up rare or multiple cards just to trade.
DeNA justified the stringent trading rules, stating, "The item requirements and restrictions implemented for the trading feature were designed to prevent abuse from bots and other prohibited actions using multiple accounts." They emphasized their goal to "balance the game while maintaining a fair environment for all players and preserving the fun of collecting cards that is core to the Pokemon TCG Pocket experience." Further changes are expected, though specifics remain undisclosed as the developers continue to explore ways to prevent potential cheating and system exploitation.
Genetic Apex Seemingly Disappears After Space-Time Smackdown’s Release
Adding to the list of grievances, the release of the Space-Time Smackdown booster packs on January 29, 2025, led some players to mistakenly believe that the Genetic Apex booster packs had been removed. Concerns were aired on Reddit as the home screen only displayed the Mythical Island and Space-Time Smackdown packs.
However, this confusion stems from a design oversight. Players can access the Genetic Apex packs by navigating to the "Select other booster packs" option located at the bottom right corner of the pack selection screen. This feature's subtle placement has led to misunderstandings, with some fans worried about losing access to the game's initial booster pack.
While some speculate that the design choice was intentional to encourage the use of newer packs, it has left many players unable to complete their collections from the first set. Suggestions have been made for DeNA to update the home screen to display all available booster packs more clearly, thus avoiding further confusion.
DeNA has yet to comment on this issue, but with this clarification, players can continue their quest to complete the Genetic Apex set using hourglasses and time.
