Creatures Inc., the developer behind Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, is actively working to enhance the trading feature that was rolled out last week amid significant player backlash. In a recent statement shared on X/Twitter, the company expressed gratitude for the community's feedback and acknowledged that the trading system, designed to curb potential abuse, has inadvertently restricted casual enjoyment for many players.
The statement highlighted that the trading feature was introduced with the intention of preventing exploitation by bots and other unfair practices. However, Creatures Inc. admitted that "some of the restrictions put in place are preventing players from being able to casually enjoy" the feature. They are now exploring ways to improve the system to address these concerns and have promised to introduce multiple methods for obtaining Trade Tokens, including through event distributions.
Despite these assurances, the company has yet to follow through on its promise to include Trade Tokens as rewards in events. The recently launched Cresselia ex Drop Event on February 3 did not feature any Trade Tokens, despite the company's earlier commitment to do so. This event offers players new promo cards, Pack Hourglasses, Shinedust, shop tickets, and experience, but no Trade Tokens.
The trading system in Pokémon TCG Pocket includes a mechanic called Trade Tokens, which has been heavily criticized for its high cost. Players must delete five cards from their collection to trade one card of the same rarity, a requirement that many find overly restrictive. Additionally, the game limits trading of cards with a rarity of 2 Stars or higher, which players believe is a strategy to encourage spending real money on packs to complete their collections.
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Creatures Inc. has not provided specific details on the upcoming changes to the trading feature or a timeline for their implementation. This lack of clarity leaves players uncertain about whether their current trades will be refunded or compensated if the Trade Token costs are adjusted. The company's approach to integrating Trade Tokens into events has also been minimal, with only 200 tokens available as premium rewards for Battle Pass subscribers, which is barely enough to trade a single low-rarity card.
The community has voiced strong criticism, labeling the trading mechanic as "predatory and downright greedy," "hilariously toxic," and a "monumental failure." Many believe that the restrictions are designed to boost revenue, especially given the game's reported earnings of $200 million in its first month. The high cost of completing sets, with one player spending around $1,500 just to finish the first set, further fuels these sentiments.
