Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will be available for iPhone and Android smartphones worldwide on October 30, 2024, and we can't wait.
The new game brings one of the most popular TCGs on the planet to the best iPhones in a more streamlined and easy-to-learn way than the fully-fledged card game. Considering the popularity of Pokémon TCG, this could be the Pokémon Company's biggest mobile hit since Pokémon Go.
The premise is simple: Open packs of cards (two free daily) and build a deck to battle and trade with other collectors. The game will take inspiration from the physical TCG but add new "Immersive Card" designs that let you peek into the card art like never before.
The game was announced earlier this year on Pokémon Day in February and we've been waiting patiently for a release date ever since. You can preregister for the game via the App Store right now but if you're lucky enough to live in New Zealand a soft launch will be available between now and October.
Pokémon TCG for the modern world
As a huge Pokémon TCG fan myself, Pocket feels like the logical next step for one of the world's most popular card games. Introducing digital cards to collect and free daily packs to scratch the itch of searching for rare cards will interest TCG collectors and every Pokémon fan on the planet.
Yes, there will be microtransactions but if packs are way cheaper than the physical TCG then the game may become a viable way to play against other players online and collect without completely breaking the bank. Time will tell, however, as we wait for more information on the gameplay loop and how microtransactions will actually work. With October 30 fast approaching, we don't have long to go.
