Pokémon TCG Pocket's highly anticipated trading update has arrived, but instead of celebration, the reception has been overwhelmingly negative, surpassing even the initial concerns voiced last week. Players are flooding social media with complaints, citing excessive requirements and restrictive limitations. While the restrictions were disclosed earlier, the sheer number of requirements, hidden under the vague statement "items must be consumed in order to trade," has proven to be a major point of contention.
Unlike other mechanics like Wonder Pick or booster pack openings, trading demands two distinct consumable items. First, players need Trade Stamina, which regenerates over time or can be purchased with Poké Gold (real money).
The second item, and the primary source of outrage, is the Trade Token. Trading cards of 3 Diamonds or higher necessitates Trade 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 your collection—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 this purpose.
This system effectively means trading a single ex Pokémon requires selling five, and trading a single 1-Star card requires selling five 1-Star cards. Even selling a Crown rarity card, the rarest in the game, only provides enough Tokens to trade three ex Pokémon. Selling a 3-Star immersive art card—a key selling point of the game itself—doesn't yield enough Tokens to trade either a 1-Star or a 4-Diamond card.
'A Monumental Failure'
The player response has been scathing. Reddit posts are filled with comments like "The trading update is an insult," and "The greed is just so excessive." Players are calling the system "hilariously toxic," a "monumental failure," and lamenting the loss of a "safe way for the community to connect." The 15-second exchange time for Tokens adds insult to injury, forcing players to spend minutes navigating menus for a single trade. Many suggest renaming the app to remove "Trading Card Game" from the title.
Pay Day
Many believe the trading system is designed to boost revenue, a suspicion fueled by the inability to trade cards of 2-Star rarity or higher. Allowing immediate trading would eliminate the need for players to spend significant sums on packs hoping for specific cards. One player reported spending approximately $1,500 to complete the first set.
Comments such as "The trading system is predatory and downright greedy" and "If you want to trade in this game, you better buy a ton of packs and keep buying them" highlight the widespread dissatisfaction. The requirement to possess three copies of a card before discarding it further exacerbates the issue.
Creatures Inc. Stays Quiet
Creatures Inc. remains silent on the backlash, a departure from their previous response to initial concerns. Their earlier statement, "Your concerns are seen," promised improvements after the update's release, a promise clearly unmet. IGN has reached out to Creatures Inc. for comment but has yet to receive a response.
Some players suggest incorporating Trade Tokens as mission rewards; however, it's more likely Trade Stamina will be used in this manner, given the existing rewards system. The poorly received trading update casts a shadow over the upcoming Diamond and Pearl update, introducing Dialga and Palkia to the game.
