Creatures Inc., the developer of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, has addressed player concerns regarding the recently implemented trading mechanic by gifting players 1,000 Trade Tokens. This is enough for only two substantial trades. The developer continues to investigate solutions to improve the controversial system.
Players logging in will find the Trade Tokens in their Gift menu. Creatures Inc. acknowledged player feedback and apologized for the inconvenience via a post on X/Twitter. The trading feature's launch last week was met with significant criticism, with many players describing the system as "hilariously toxic," "predatory," and "downright greedy."
The trading system, like other aspects of Pokémon TCG Pocket, includes restrictions limiting pack openings, Wonder Picking, and trading frequency unless players spend real money. The high cost of acquiring Trade Tokens – requiring the deletion of five cards to trade one of the same rarity – was a major point of contention.
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The negative reception followed an earlier developer statement, almost three weeks prior to the launch, assuring players that their feedback would be considered. Despite this assurance, the trading system fell short of expectations. Creatures Inc. subsequently acknowledged that certain restrictions hindered casual enjoyment of the trading feature.
The developer pledged to address these issues by offering necessary items as rewards in future events. However, the recent Cresselia ex Drop Event (released February 3rd) did not include these promised rewards.
Many players believe the trading system's design prioritizes revenue generation for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated $200 million in its first month, before the trading feature was available. This suspicion is fueled by the inability to trade cards of 2-Star rarity or higher, a restriction that seemingly encourages players to spend money on packs for a chance to obtain rare cards. One player reported spending approximately $1,500 to complete the first set. The third set was released last week.
