Pokemon TCG Pocket Players’ Complaints About the Game’s Latest Update

TCG Pocket’s Trade Tokens are Quite Expensive to Obtain

The release of the trading feature in Pokemon TCG Pocket on January 29, 2025, has sparked significant dissatisfaction among players, leading DeNA to announce future modifications via a Twitter (X) post on February 1, 2025. The trading system, which allows for the exchange of 1-4 Diamonds and 1-Star rarity cards from Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs, was designed to help players complete their Poke Dex. However, the feature's limitations, including a restricted card selection, a new in-game currency, and high trading costs, have left many players frustrated.

In response to the backlash, DeNA has committed to enhancing the trading feature, stating they are "actively investigating ways to improve the feature to address these concerns." One of the planned improvements includes "offering multiple ways to obtain trade tokens, including through event distributions." At present, players can only trade up to 1-Star cards using trade tokens, which are acquired by sacrificing higher rarity cards. For example, trading a 4-Diamond card (an ex Pokemon) requires 500 tokens, yet players can only gain 100 tokens for a 1-Star card and 300 for 2-Star and 3-Star immersive cards, which are of higher rarity than a 4-Diamond card. This system forces players to burn rare or multiple cards to engage in trades with others.

DeNA has clarified the rationale behind the stringent rules and restrictions, 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. Our goal was 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." While additional changes to the trading system have not yet been disclosed, it seems the developers are focused on preventing potential cheating and exploitation before rolling out an update.

Genetic Apex Seemingly Disappears After Space-Time Smackdown’s Release

Another issue raised by players following the release of the Space-Time Smackdown booster packs on January 29, 2025, is the apparent disappearance of the Genetic Apex booster packs. Some players expressed concern on Reddit that the home screen only displays the Mythical Island and Space-Time Smackdown booster packs, leading to fears that the game's initial booster pack had been removed.

However, this is not the case; players can access the Genetic Apex booster packs by navigating to the pack selection screen at the bottom right corner labeled "Select other booster packs." The small and easily overlooked text may have contributed to the confusion among fans, leading to worries that the first booster pack was lost. Some players speculate that this might be a deliberate design choice to encourage the opening of newer packs, although not everyone has completed their collection from the Genetic Apex set. Suggestions have been made for DeNA to update the home screen to display all three booster pack sets to avoid further confusion.

Although DeNA has not yet addressed this issue directly, this clarification should reassure players that they can continue working towards completing their Genetic Apex booster pack collections using their time and hourglasses.