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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has finally rolled out its much-anticipated trading update. While players were already skeptical after developer Creatures Inc. revealed how the system would function last week, the feature has launched to an even harsher reception than expected.

Following the release, numerous players have taken to platforms like Reddit and social media to express their disappointment with the new mechanic. The primary complaints center around overly restrictive requirements and excessive limitations that make meaningful trades nearly unattainable for most users.

Although some restrictions were previewed during the initial announcement—such as rarity caps preventing the trade of 3 Star or higher cards without special items—the more frustrating aspects were hidden behind vague descriptions like "items must be consumed in order to trade."

Unlike other core features such as Wonder Pick or booster pack openings, trading now requires two separate consumable resources each time a trade is initiated: Trade Stamina and Trade Tokens.

Found a picture of the devs after the trade update!
byu/marcola42 inPTCGP

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Trade Tokens: A Costly Barrier

The real issue lies in the mandatory use of Trade Tokens, which are needed to trade any card rated at 3 Diamonds or above. For example:

• 3 Diamond card: 120 Trade Tokens
• 1 Star card: 400 Trade Tokens
• 4 Diamond (ex Pokémon): 500 Trade Tokens

Players can only obtain Trade Tokens by permanently deleting cards from their collection. The conversion rates are steep:

• Delete a 3 Diamond card = 25 Trade Tokens
• Delete a 1 Star card = 100 Trade Tokens
• Delete a 4 Diamond card = 125 Trade Tokens
• Delete a 2 Star card = 300 Trade Tokens
• Delete a 3 Star immersive art card = 300 Trade Tokens
• Delete a Crown rarity card = 1,500 Trade Tokens

This means you'd need to delete five ex Pokémon just to trade one. Similarly, selling off five 1 Star cards is required before you can trade one. Even rarer cards, like Crown rarity, are so valuable that players may spend months trying to collect them—only to receive enough tokens for three ex trades.

Furthermore, 3 Star immersive cards—which were once used as a major promotional point for Pokémon TCG Pocket—don’t yield enough tokens to trade either a 1 Star or 4 Diamond card.

“A Monumental Failure”

“This trading update is an insult,” wrote Reddit user hurtbowler in a post gaining over 1,000 upvotes. “It's just frustrating. The greed is just so excessive I can't bring myself to spend another dollar. They should probably remove 'Trading Card Game' from the title screen. It's just insulting to look at.”

Another player commented on the absurdity of needing to delete two immersive cards just to trade a single ex Pokémon. “I understand they want to prevent bots and exploitation, but this is completely unreasonable.”

Many have called the system “hilariously toxic” and a “monumental failure,” criticizing it for being too cumbersome to serve its intended purpose of community interaction. Each deletion takes about 15 seconds, meaning players could spend minutes navigating menus just to initiate one trade.

“If these are the trade costs, the app should be renamed to Pokémon Card Game Pocket,” wrote Darkmalice. Another user added, “I don't think they want people trading at all—that's why they made it so bad.”

what a joke of a trading system
byu/ZenGraphics_ inPTCGP

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Pay Day Over Play Day

Fans are increasingly convinced that the trading system was designed not to enhance gameplay, but to drive revenue. Pokémon TCG Pocket reportedly earned $200 million within its first month—even before trading was introduced.

By locking high-rarity cards behind both token requirements and non-tradeable thresholds, players are effectively forced to continue spending money on packs rather than acquiring missing cards through trade. One player noted spending nearly $1,500 just to complete the first set, with the third set launching the next day.

Reddit user ACNL criticized the predatory nature of the system: “That’s just messed up. Like who designed this? If there were alternative ways to earn tokens, this might be acceptable. But right now, there aren’t any.”

He continued, “This isn’t sustainable. Plus, you can’t even delete a card unless you have three copies. So if you want to trade, you better keep buying packs—lots of them.”

Finally Trade is here.... wait What?
byu/Tidus1117 inPTCGP

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Creatures Inc. Stays Silent

Despite the overwhelming backlash, Creatures Inc. has remained silent on the issue. While the studio did acknowledge concerns during the initial reveal, stating, “Your concerns are seen. Once this feature becomes available, I'd like to invite everyone to try it and provide feedback,” the reality has fallen far short of expectations.

IGN reached out to Creatures Inc. for comment regarding the negative response and whether changes are planned. Some players hope that future updates might introduce Trade Tokens as mission rewards or achievements, though no official word has been given.

As the game prepares to launch its next major update featuring Diamond and Pearl-era Pokémon like Dialga and Palkia, the poorly received trading system casts a shadow over what should be an exciting milestone.

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