Pokemon TCG Pocket reveals strict trade limitations, players upset

The Pokemon TCG Pocket team has revealed when the game’s trade feature will be introduced and how it’ll work, and players aren’t too happy with its clear limitations.

Pokemon cards have seen massive popularity in recent years. Former Pokemon collectors reignited their lost passion and many Pokemon content creators have found new audience sby focusing on opening rare packs. The primary limitation with physical cards is not everyone has access to them, whether due to their price, supply, or availability in certain areas.

Fortunately, Pokemon TCG Pocket makes collecting Pokemon cards more easily accessible for everyone. While the mobile game didn’t initially allow players to trade their virtually collected Pokemon cards, that’s slated to change soon. The official Pokemon TCG Pocket social accounts revealed when trading will come to the game and how it’ll work. And unfortunately, players will have to make do with certain limitations.

Trading in Pokemon TCG Pocket requires players to be friends

Trading in Pokemon TCG Pocket will require players to be friends and the cards they are trading for to be the same rarity.

The highlight of trading with physical cards for most collectors is that it can happen with anyone. From friends to strangers, knowing the other party intimately is not required to conduct a successful Pokemon card trade. Now, before trading you will have to friend another player’s account in-game. So it’s no surprise that many players are unhappy with the friend limitation, and it’s just one of multiple reasons for the outrage.

Only Pokemon cards of the same rarity can be traded. This means a player can only trade a 1-star card with a friend who also offers their 1-star card. This limitation is further restricted by the fact that players can only trade cards up to the 1-star rarity. This means only the diamond cards and 1-star cards are up for trading, shutting the possibility of trading cards with higher rarities.

Many Pokemon TCG Pocket players are angry with this restriction, as it limits what they can trade with their friends and forces them to trade only with accounts they’ve friended. Those with multiple copies of rare cards were likely expecting to exchange them for cards they don’t have regardless of rarity and their relation to other card owners, and that can’t easily happen now.

The biggest letdown for many players is trading will consume in-game currency and items. This means players can’t trade as many times as required to complete their collections. It’s unknown how much players will need to use to conduct a trade.

When will trading come to Pokemon TCG Pocket?

Trading in Pokemon TCG Pocket will be introduced sometime in January 2025.

Some cards from the Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs will be tradable when the feature is introduced, and the selection of tradable booster packs will expand from there. It’s safe to assume most new booster packs introduced after the trading feature will have tradable cards.

In the post, it’s written the Pokemon TCG Pocket team will monitor player feedback to tweak the trading feature if required. A follow-up post also stated the “concerns” of players are being seen. The post says that players should try the feature once it’s introduced before providing further feedback, suggesting the team may lift some restrictions in the future in order to make things easier.

When will the next Pokemon TCG Pocket booster packs come out?

The next Pokemon TCG Pocket booster packs are slated to come out in the month of January 2025.

While the exact release date is unknown, it’s safe to assume the next booster packs will come alongside the trading feature. Players can expect more news as the days pass. With multiple events lined up for January, Pokemon TCG Pocket players look to have many chances looming through which they could acquire their favorite cards.