The developers of Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Pocket are contemplating significant changes to their trading system, particularly concerning the restriction on trading cards rarer than one-star. This decision comes in response to mounting complaints from players who have long criticized the trade system as the game's weakest feature since its launch earlier this year. The timeline for these changes is set for completion by autumn 2025, as stated by the development team in a recent blog post.
In the blog, the Pokémon TCG Pocket team expressed gratitude to players for their feedback on the trading feature, acknowledging the community’s concerns.
“Thank you for sharing your feedback on the trading feature in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket,” the team stated.
Players have voiced dissatisfaction with the current restriction, which has limited their ability to trade higher rarity cards. The prospective change, however, appears unlikely to materialize in the near future, with two-star trading still a distant possibility. In the meantime, trade tokens, which were accumulated by players in anticipation of future trades, will be converted to an in-game currency known as Shinedust. This conversion has left some players feeling misled.
“Appreciate the Trade Tokens being converted to Shinedust, but I definitely feel like an idiot for stocking up on Tokens now,” shared a player on social media platform X.
The decision to convert trade tokens has sparked a range of reactions within the community. Players who had previously shredded one-star cards to amass trade tokens are now expressing regret over their actions.
“I shredded a bunch of rare cards. Oh well…” lamented another player on X.
While some players express frustration over their past decisions, others remain unsympathetic to those who traded unique cards without spares.
“If you traded a card in you didn’t have spares of, that’s on you man, idk what to tell you,” remarked a user on the PTCGP subreddit.
The developers' announcement has fueled both anticipation and skepticism among players, as they await further developments. Despite the planned changes still being several months away, the acknowledgment of player feedback marks a significant step towards addressing community concerns.