Pokémon Trading Card Game Pockethas revealed new details about its upcoming trading features, including what limits will be placed on the new mechanic. SincePokémon TCG Pocket’s earliest days, players have wondered how the game would handle in-game trading. It was assumed that players could only trade with friends, but other details like how often players could trade and what cards they could trade remained unclear. New details have now emerged about how trading will work inPokémon TCG Pocket, although it includes some bad news for players hoping to get high-rarity cards.
In a post made toPokémon TCG Pocket’s X (formerly Twitter) account, developers confirmed thattrading would initially be limited to onlyGenetic ApexandMythical Islandcards.
Additionally,players can only trade cards with either a diamond rarity or a one-star rarity, meaning the game’s highest rarity cards are currently off the table. Finally, players will have to spend “items” (likely Shinedust) to trade, and can only trade with friends.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Places Heavy Limits On Trading
Only Certain Cards From Early Sets Qualify For Trading
Trading will be added toPokémon TCG Pocketlater in January, although it seems like it will have some strict limitations when first released. For instance,players have to trade cards of the same rarity, which prevents players from trading a one-star card for a Pokémon ex card or a more common card. Likely, this is being done to preserve some parity between players and prevent paid trading within the game. Limiting trade to between friends also means that a so-called “Wonder Trade” function between strangers is currently not in the works.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Confirms Pack Hourglasses Can Be Used on Future Expansions
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will still use the current Pack Hourglasses when its future expansions come out in the game.
The only real unknown left inPokémon TCG Pocket’s statement is what the game’s developer means when saying only certain cards can be traded. Ths could simply be a reference to the lower rarity card limits, but it could also suggest there are further limits that haven’t been unveiled. The announcement notes that the developers will be keeping track of player feedback and adding more cards in the future, especially with anewTCG Pocketexpansionon the way.
Our Take: Trading Introduced With A Whimper
Trading Limitations Deflates Excitement For New Feature
Thedisappointing limitations surrounding trading were leakeda while back, but it’s still a bit disheartening to see that players can’t trade higher rarity cards with friends. I have duplicates of several full art cards that will remain in my collection instead of getting passed along to my friends for Immersive Art cards. While these restrictions are likely to be in place with an eye towards parity and minimizing exploitation of younger players, this still feels like a disappointment forPokémon TCG Pocket, even if the game promises more potential tweaks in the future.
Source:Pokémon TCG Pocket/X
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is a mobile adaptation that reimagines the classic TCG experience for iOS and Android devices.
