Pokémon TCG Pocket to Revamp Trading System: Changes Confirmed

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have recently unveiled significant updates to the game's much-criticized trading system, which has been a source of frustration for players since its launch. These forthcoming changes promise substantial improvements, although their implementation will take some time.

In a detailed post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the upcoming changes, which we've summarized below:

Removal of Trade Tokens

• Trade tokens will be entirely phased out, eliminating the need for players to sacrifice cards to acquire trading currency.
• Trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust.
• Shinedust will be earned automatically when players open a booster pack and receive a card already registered in their Card Dex.
• Given that shinedust is also used to acquire flair, the developers are considering increasing the amount players receive to accommodate its use in trading as well.
• This change is expected to facilitate more frequent trading than the current system allows.
• Existing trade tokens will be converted to shinedust upon their removal from the game.
• The trading method for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards remains unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

• A new feature will enable players to share cards they are interested in trading via the in-game trading function.

The removal of trade tokens is a pivotal change. Previously, trade tokens were essential for trading but could only be obtained by destroying cards already in a player's collection. For example, trading a single ex Pokémon card required sacrificing five other ex cards to gather enough tokens. This system was overly burdensome and discouraged trading.

The new system using shinedust, an existing in-game currency, is much more player-friendly. Shinedust is earned automatically from duplicate cards and through events, making it more accessible. The developers plan to increase shinedust availability to ensure smoother trading experiences. This shift to shinedust should make trading more appealing and less costly for players.

While it's crucial to maintain some cost to trading to prevent system abuse, the trade token system was excessively expensive. The new approach aims to balance this necessity while encouraging more active trading.

The upcoming feature allowing players to share desired trade cards is another game-changer. Currently, there's no in-game way to communicate trade interests, leading to guesswork and limited engagement with strangers. By enabling players to specify what they're looking for, this feature should significantly enhance the trading experience and encourage more interaction within the community.

Overall, the community has responded positively to these announced changes. However, there's a significant downside: many players have already sacrificed rare cards to accumulate trade tokens, and those cards are irretrievably lost. While existing tokens will convert to shinedust, the loss of those cards remains a sore point.

Moreover, players will need to wait until the fall of this year for these changes to take effect. This extended timeline could lead to a standstill in trading, as few will be willing to continue using the current system knowing a better solution is on the horizon. As a result, several more expansions may pass before Pokémon TCG Pocket's trading function truly flourishes.

In the meantime, players are advised to save their shinedust in anticipation of the upcoming changes.