Pokémon TCG Pocket has been a financial juggernaut since its October 2024 launch. With over $500 million in revenue in just 100 days and 60 million downloads in its first six weeks, The Pokémon Company’s latest mobile venture has clearly struck gold with its digital card collecting experience.
But not everything that glitters is competitive gold. Despite the game’s massive financial success and growing card pool, there’s a substantial obstacle blocking its path to esports glory—and it has nothing to do with the game’s popularity or player count.
As the game prepares to drop its “Triumphant Light” expansion featuring Arceus soon, a recent interview has shed light on why you won’t be seeing Pokémon TCG Pocket tournaments alongside the franchise’s other competitive titles anytime soon. The reason might surprise you—or if you’ve been playing ranked battles lately, perhaps not.
Why Pokémon TCG Pocket won’t join the competitive circuit
When a mobile game breaks $500 million in revenue in just over three months, you’d think competitive tournaments would be the next logical step. But The Pokémon Company has other ideas about their latest mobile sensation.
In a recent interview with VGC, Chris Brown, The Pokémon Company’s director of global esports, made the company’s position clear:
We’re always looking at different titles.
This vague statement was followed by a lighthearted throwback:
Pokémon Sleep is out there, too.
Before delivering the definitive answer:
But at this time there are no plans for Pokémon TCG Pocket to join, but we’re always looking at things.
The reality is that Pokémon TCG Pocket‘s simplified mechanics might be working against its competitive aspirations. With smaller 20-card decks, just three prize cards, and an automatic energy system, the game was designed for accessibility rather than competitive depth.
These fundamental differences from the traditional TCG create balance issues that would be problematic in a tournament setting. The current meta has been dominated by a handful of powerful strategies since launch, with little room for the strategic diversity needed in a healthy competitive scene.
The future of Pocket‘s competitive potential
The simplified design of Pokémon TCG Pocket reflects its intended purpose—to serve as a casual introduction to the card game, not a competitive powerhouse. The game eliminates complex elements like resistances, weakens the effectiveness of type advantages, and streamlines energy management.
These changes make perfect sense for a mobile game designed for quick sessions and broad appeal. But they also limit the strategic ceiling that makes traditional Pokémon TCG suitable for high-level competition.
That said, Pokémon TCG Pocket isn’t standing still. With the upcoming new themed booster pack release and the “Present Campaign” offering guaranteed high-rarity cards, the card pool continues to expand. Each addition brings potential for greater strategic diversity.
The trading feature, though initially controversial due to its restrictions, is already being improved based on player feedback. The developers have promised “multiple ways to obtain trade tokens” and are “actively investigating ways to improve the feature.”
Perhaps most telling is that The Pokémon Company hasn’t completely closed the door on competitive TCG Pocket. That “always looking at things” comment leaves room for the game to join the competitive circuit once it evolves beyond its current limitations.
Do you think Pokémon TCG Pocket deserves a spot in the competitive Pokémon lineup alongside Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Go, and the traditional TCG? Or does it need more time to develop a balanced meta? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
