Pokémon TCG Pocket: Trading System Overhaul Confirmed, But Delayed

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have recently announced significant improvements to the game's much-criticized trading system, which has been a source of frustration since its launch. These updates promise to enhance gameplay significantly, though they will take some time to be fully implemented.

In a detailed post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the upcoming changes:

Removal of Trade Tokens

• Trade tokens will be entirely phased out. Players will no longer need to sacrifice cards to acquire the currency necessary for trading.
• Instead, trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will require shinedust.
• Shinedust will be automatically earned when players open a booster pack and obtain a card already registered in their Card Dex.
• Given that shinedust is also used to obtain flair, the developers are planning to increase its availability to support the new trading system.
• This change is expected to facilitate more frequent trading than the current system allows.
• Existing trade tokens will be converted into shinedust when the feature is removed.
• The trading method for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards remains unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

• A new feature will allow players to share cards they are interested in trading, making the trading process more transparent and efficient.

The current trading system, which relies on trade tokens, has been highly criticized. To trade even a single ex Pokémon card, players must discard several other ex cards to gather enough tokens, making the process cumbersome and discouraging. The new system using shinedust, which players earn from duplicate cards and events, should be more user-friendly. Since shinedust is already used for flairs, many players may have accumulated enough to start trading right away.

While it's crucial for TCG Pocket to maintain some cost to trading to prevent exploitation, the trade token system was excessively restrictive. The new shinedust-based system should strike a better balance.

Another significant upcoming feature is the ability to share desired trade cards, which should greatly improve trading dynamics. Currently, without external communication, it's challenging to make suitable trade offers, leading to low engagement with the trading system. The new feature should encourage more active trading by allowing players to signal what they're looking for.

The community has responded positively to these planned changes, though there's a notable concern: many players have already lost rare cards to the old system, with no way to recover them. While converting existing trade tokens to shinedust is a step in the right direction, the lost cards remain a significant issue.

Unfortunately, players will need to wait until the fall to see these improvements in action. In the interim, trading activity may decline further, as few will want to sacrifice rare cards knowing a better system is on the horizon. Several expansions may come and go before the trading aspect of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket truly flourishes.

In the meantime, players are encouraged to save their shinedust for the upcoming changes.