Pokémon TCG Pocketoffers players an engrossing way to collectPokémoncards and battle their friends.It simulates the experience of opening fresh packs, collecting hundreds of cards, and delighting in all the gorgeous artwork while adding a few extra bells and whistles to make the whole experience entertaining. Of course, the whole point of a digital trading card game adaptation of the real one is to reduce the onboarding costs that come with collecting physical cards.
As a result, it’s no surprise fans are curious about howPokémon TCG Pocket’smonetization works, specifically with its in-game shop, premium currency, and subscription service. Luckily,Pokémon TCG Pocketis shaping up to be one ofone of the best mobile games, especially for those who enjoy thePokémontrading card game, and its approach to monetization is a big part of that. Whilethe game contains microtransactions, it’s perhaps not as egregious as some may fear.
Does Pokémon TCG Pocket Have Microtransactions
Pokémon TCG Pocket Has In-Game Currency
Pokémon TCG Pocket has microtransactionsin the form of an in-game currency called Poké Gold. This can be bought from the in-game store - as well as earned through completing missions - and be used to purchase a variety of useful items. For example, players can use them to pick up cosmetics from the store, something that is fairly innocuous in today’s mobile gaming landscape.
However, more importantly, Poké Gold can be used to reduce the waiting time for some ofPokémon TCG Pocket’sbest features. It’s possible to spend Poké Gold on recovering Wonder Stamina to use the Wonder Pick feature and unlock rare cards.Using Poké Gold reduces the amount of time it takes to recover the Wonder Stamina, allowing players to access the Wonder Pick feature faster. This isn’t strictly necessary, although it’s worth noting that it takes a long time to recover Wonder Stamina inPokémon TCG Pocket.
Additionally,Poké Gold can be used to reduce the waiting time between opening packs, meaning they get to increase their chances ofpulling the best cards quicker. Normally, players can only open two packs a day, but if they choose to use Poké Gold, it increases substantially. For anyone who wants to unlock all thebest cards inPokémon TCG Pocketas quickly as possible, buying a lot of Poké Gold is the only way to do so. Once again, this isn’t inherently necessary, although much like Wonder Stamina, the time between new packs is quite long.
Will Pokémon TCG Pocket Replace Pokémon TCG Live?
The upcoming Pokémon TCG app has similarities to the already existing TCG battle game, so why does The Pokémon Company need two separate games?
It is worth noting thatPoké Gold can be earned by simply playing the gameand completing the assortment of missions that are available to the free-to-play players. However, the rate at which players will earn it is relatively slow, meaning that paying for more will always be the more convenient option. Nevertheless, for those who are content with simply unlocking two packs a day and not getting everything all at once, or at least within a short space of time, then there really is no need to purchase any of the in-game currency.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Subscription & What You Get
Extra Booster Packs & Missions
ThePokémon TCG Pocketsubscription is called the premium pass, and it acts as a monthly paid service that unlocks a number of extras for the player.It costs $9.99 a month and gives players one additional booster pack per day, essentially allowing them to open three a day instead of two. This gives players a better chance of unlocking all the cards that they want which they can’t get throughPokémon TCG Pocket’strading system.
Pokémon TCG: The Best Deck From Ex Starter Deck Generations
The Ex Starter Deck Generations set has been revealed for the Pokémon TCG, and there’s one deck in particular players should pay attention to.
ThePokémon TCG Pocketpremium pass has a free trial that lasts for 14 days. This can only be accessed once and is unlocked by purchasing a month of the premium pass. The subscription will auto-renew, so anyone who wants to just try it out will need to cancel their subscription in order to avoid being charged $9.99.
The value of the subscription ultimately comes down to personal preference. Of course, the more someone uses the app and gets invested in collecting all the cards, the more enticing the premium pass will be. It offers a fair amount for the asking price, althoughit should be noted that the subscription doesn’t include any Poké Gold, which must be purchased separately from the in-game store.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Poké Gold, Shops, & Prices
Poké Gold Can Get Expensive
Poké Gold can be purchased fromPokémon TCG Pocket’sin-game storefor varying prices. The cheapest option costs just $0.99 and gets players 5 Poké Gold, which they can spend on whatever they want. The most expensive option currently available is 500 Poké Gold, setting players back $99.99. A bonus structure grants the more expensive options additional Poké Gold per purchase. For example, the bundle of 200 Poké Gold comes with an additional 50 Poké Gold, essentially giving players 250 Poké Gold for $39.99. Below is the cost of Poké Gold inPokemon TCG Pocket:
$0.99
$4.99
$9.99
$19.99
$39.99
500 Poké Gold
$99.99
To instantly open another pack after having opened the allotted two - or three with the premium pass - players will need to spend six Poké Gold. There’s also an option to immediately open 10 packs by spending 60 Poké Gold. However, importantly,players cannot spend more than 720 Poké Gold per day, although that would cost a princely sum of around $150.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Datamine Reveals Possible Future Set Release Dates
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket’s upcoming release schedule may have been discovered thanks to a new datamine, with two sets due for release.
There’s nothing too drastic going on withPokémon TCG Pocket’smicrotransactions, as they follow the same template set out by other mobile and live service games. There’s a premium currency that can make the game more convenient but isn’t needed to enjoy the game, and there’s a premium pass that gives extra bonuses but is also not necessary. For players who don’t want to spend any money in thePokemon TCG Pocket, there really isn’t any need to, although those who do will unlock cards a little bit faster.
