Trading is coming to Pokemon TCG Pocket, but does this mean players can buy cards, gold, and other resources from each other? Not if The Pokemon Company has anything to say about it.
The Pokemon TCG is known for many things, but in recent years it’s been defined by its rarest, most expensive cards. The 2024 mobile game Pokemon TCG Pocket has broken free from that by offering players an accessible, free way to experience the card game. The game’s main focus is still on collecting cards though, and money has always been the best way to approach collectibles.
With trading being added to Pokemon TCG Pocket, there’s undoubtedly going to be interest in real-money trading. But is this going to be possible?
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Real-money trading is explicitly banned in Pokemon TCG Pocket. This was publicly declared with an in-game notification where developers warned players against acquiring rare cards through unscrupulous means.
“We are aware that some players have engaged in data tampering, real money trading, and other behaviors that violate the terms of use. If we confirm that a player has engaged in behavior that violates the terms of use, we will warn them, suspend their account, or take other action,” the statement reads.
It’s unclear how effectively The Pokemon Company DeNA will be able to tackle this issue.
For-money trading is a staple of almost every game that has it, regardless of how developers feel about it. The greatest example of this is on Steam, where games like Counter-Strike have entire industries around weapon skins that operate outside of Valve’s control. This includes players being able to sell their skins for real money, both through shady intermediaries and directly.
While Valve largely accepts this, other games that have tried to combat this have failed. Titles like Diablo 4, Final Fantasy 14, and World of Warcraft have tried to combat this with little success.
The Pokemon Company, in particular, has had little success handling hackers, bots, and modders. However, hackers can be easily found by casually trading on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Though there have been heavily publicized cases of hackers being arrested for selling Pokemon, encountering hackers is a staple of the online gaming experience in Pokemon.
One of the primary means of preventing Pokemon TCG Pocket players from buying cards with real money is preventing players from trading for the rarest cards. These are effectively tied to the account, and cannot be transferred.
Not only that, but Pokemon TCG Pocket will force players to have “fair” trades. Cards can only be traded for other cards of comparable rarity. This means that, if players could trade extremely rare three-star cards, they’d have to trade them for other three-star cards.
Regardless, it’s highly likely that some Pokemon TCG Pocket players will wind up finding ways to buy cards from each other. The question is how it will end up being done
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
