Pokémon TCG Pocket Gets Trading Today and Players Absolutely Hate It

Pokémon TCG Pocket's highly anticipated trading update, launched today, has been met with overwhelmingly negative feedback, far exceeding the initial concerns voiced last week. Players are expressing widespread frustration on social media, citing excessive requirements and restrictive limitations. While the restrictions were previously disclosed, the demanding resource consumption was only vaguely hinted at.

The trading system necessitates two distinct consumable items per trade. The first, Trade Stamina, functions similarly to other in-game mechanics, replenishing over time or purchasable with Poké Gold (real money).

The second item, Trade Tokens, is the primary source of contention. Trading cards of 3 Diamonds or higher requires a significant number of these tokens: 120 for a 3-Diamond card, 400 for a 1-Star card, and 500 for a 4-Diamond (ex Pokémon) card.

Trade Tokens are acquired solely by discarding cards from a player's collection. The exchange rates are heavily weighted against the player: a 3-Diamond card yields 25 tokens, a 1-Star card 100, a 4-Diamond card 125, a 2-Star card 300, a 3-Star immersive card 300, and a Crown gold card 1500. Lower rarity cards are worthless for token acquisition.

This system effectively forces players to sacrifice multiple valuable cards to trade a single high-value card. For instance, five ex Pokémon must be discarded to trade one, and even selling a Crown rarity card (the rarest in the game) only provides enough tokens for three ex Pokémon trades. Selling a 3-Star immersive art card, a key selling point of the game, doesn't yield enough tokens to trade either a 1-Star or 4-Diamond card.

Overwhelming Negative Reaction

The player response has been scathing. Reddit posts expressing outrage have garnered thousands of upvotes, with players denouncing the system as "an insult," "hilariously toxic," and a "monumental failure." Many players are vowing to cease spending on the game, highlighting the perceived greed and calling for the removal of "Trading Card Game" from the title. The lengthy process of exchanging cards for tokens, approximately 15 seconds per transaction, further exacerbates the frustration. Several players suggest the system is intentionally designed to discourage trading.

Revenue Generation Concerns

The trading mechanic is widely perceived as a blatant revenue-generating strategy. Given the game's estimated $200 million in revenue during its first month (before trading), this suspicion is amplified by the inability to trade cards of 2-Star rarity or higher. This restriction ensures players are incentivized to purchase packs repeatedly for a chance at acquiring rare cards, rather than obtaining them through trading. One player reported spending approximately $1,500 to complete the first set.

Developer Silence

Creatures Inc. has yet to respond to the widespread criticism, despite previously acknowledging player concerns. IGN has reached out for comment regarding potential changes.

While adding Trade Tokens as mission rewards could potentially mitigate the issue, it's more likely that Trade Stamina will be included in future rewards, following the pattern of similar in-game resources. The launch of this poorly-received trading system casts a shadow over the upcoming update, which will introduce Diamond and Pearl Pokémon like Dialga and Palkia.