Pokémon TCG Pocket Confirms Changes to Much-Loathed Trading System Are Coming... Eventually

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have finally shed light on significant enhancements to the game's much-criticized trading system, which has been a point of contention since its launch. These forthcoming improvements promise a positive transformation, although their implementation is slated for the distant future.

In a detailed post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the upcoming changes, which we summarize below:

Removal of Trade Tokens

• Trade Tokens Eliminated: Players will no longer need to sacrifice cards to acquire trade tokens. The new system will utilize shinedust for trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity.
• Shinedust Acquisition: Shinedust will be earned automatically when opening booster packs and receiving duplicate cards already registered in your Card Dex. The developers are considering increasing the amount of shinedust available, as it will now also be used for trading.
• Trade Token Conversion: Existing trade tokens will be converted to shinedust upon removal from the game.
• No Changes for Lower Rarities: Trading for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards remains unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

• Trade Interest Sharing: A new feature will allow players to indicate which cards they are interested in trading, enhancing the trading experience within the game.

The current trade token system has been widely criticized. To trade even a single ex Pokémon card, players must destroy five other ex cards to accumulate enough trade tokens, a process that has discouraged many from engaging in trades. The new system, which leverages shinedust, appears to be a significant improvement. Shinedust is already earned through duplicate cards and events, making it a more accessible currency for trading. The developers are committed to ensuring players have ample shinedust to facilitate trades.

It's worth noting that imposing some cost on trading is essential to prevent system abuse, such as players creating multiple accounts to farm and transfer rare cards. The trade token system's high cost was prohibitive, whereas shinedust offers a more balanced approach.

The ability to share trading interests will revolutionize the trading process. Currently, players can list cards for trade but cannot specify desired cards in return, leading to ineffective trades with strangers. The new feature will allow for more targeted and meaningful exchanges, encouraging broader participation in trading.

The community has responded positively to these proposed changes. However, there's a significant downside: many players have already sacrificed rare cards to accumulate trade tokens, and those cards are irretrievably lost. While existing trade tokens will convert to shinedust, the loss of rare cards remains a sore point.

Moreover, these improvements won't be implemented until the fall of this year, according to the blog post. This delay is likely to cause trading activity to stagnate, as players may be reluctant to continue using the current system when a better solution is on the horizon. We may see several more expansions before the trading aspect of Pokémon TCG Pocket truly flourishes.

In the meantime, players are advised to save their shinedust for the upcoming changes.