Pokemon TCG Pocket Backlash Prompts Trading Feature Improvements

Following significant player feedback, the developers at DeNA have committed to refining the trading system in Pokemon TCG Pocket. This move comes in response to widespread criticism of the game's recently introduced trading feature. Let's dive into the specifics of what's been causing the uproar and what changes we might see soon.

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

TCG Pocket’s Trade Tokens are Quite Expensive to Obtain

On January 29, 2025, Pokemon TCG Pocket rolled out its much-anticipated trading feature. However, the excitement was short-lived for many players due to stringent restrictions and high costs associated with trading. The system limits trading to cards ranging from 1 to 4 Diamonds and 1-Star rarity from the Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs. While beneficial for those aiming to complete their Poke Dex, the need for a new in-game currency and the steep trading costs have left many players dissatisfied.

In response to the backlash, DeNA announced on February 1, 2025, via a post on Twitter (X), that they are "actively investigating ways to improve the feature to address these concerns." One proposed solution is to introduce "multiple ways to obtain trade tokens, including through event distributions." Currently, players can only trade up to 1-Star cards using trade tokens, which are acquired by sacrificing higher rarity cards. For instance, trading a 4-Diamond card (an ex Pokemon) costs 500 tokens, but players can only earn 100 tokens from a 1-Star card and 300 from 2-Star and 3-Star immersive cards. This forces players to part with rare or multiple cards just to engage in trading.

DeNA has justified the strict 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 aim 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 further details on upcoming changes remain under wraps, it seems DeNA is keen on ensuring a cheat-free and enjoyable trading experience.

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

Another issue that's stirred the community is the apparent disappearance of the Genetic Apex booster packs following the launch of the Space-Time Smackdown booster packs on January 29, 2025. Players took to Reddit to express their concerns after noticing only the Mythical Island and Space-Time Smackdown packs visible on the home screen.

However, this was a misunderstanding; players can indeed 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. The small text size has led to confusion, making it seem as though the first booster pack was removed. Some players speculated that this might be a deliberate design choice to push the newer packs, but it's clear that not everyone has finished collecting from the Genetic Apex set. Suggestions have been made for DeNA to update the home screen to display all available booster pack sets, avoiding future confusion.

DeNA has yet to address this specific issue directly, but hopefully, this clarification will help players continue enjoying and completing their collections from the Genetic Apex packs.