‘No plans’ to add Pokémon TCG Pocket to competitive circuit, says The Pokémon Company

Don’t expect to see Pokémon TCG Pocket at Worlds any time soon, says Pokémon esports boss

‘No plans’ to add Pokémon TCG Pocket to competitive circuit, says The Pokémon Company

The Pokémon Company has said it has no plans to add Pokémon TCG Pocket to the roster of competitive Pokémon games.

Pokémon TCG Pocket was released in late October 2024 and got off to an impressive start, reportedly passing $120 million dollars in earnings in its first two weeks.

The game, which was developed by The Pokémon Company and mobile developer DENA, includes competitive battling, however, The Pokémon Company has said that it doesn’t currently plan to add the game to the competitive Pokémon circuit.

The current Pokémon competitive lineup includes Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Go, Pokémon Unite, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

“We’re always looking at different titles,” said Chris Brown, The Pokemon Company director of global esports, during an interview with VGC.

“Pokemon Sleep is out there too,” said Brown, laughing. Last April, The Pokemon Company released a parody trailer for the Pokemon Sleep Champion Tournament to celebrate April Fool’s Day.

“But at this time there are no plans for Pokemon Pocket to join, but we’re always looking at things.”

One element that may prevent Pokemon TCG Pocket being included in the competitive scene is the lack of balance that has plagued the small competitive scene since the game debuted last year.

Many players have complained that the same decks are dominating virtually every ranked battle and that the game, which is currently on its second full set of cards, isn’t ready for true competitive play due to these balance issues.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Go, Pokémon Unite, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game all featured during last weekend’s Pokémon European International Championships (EUIC), wherein players competed for thousands of dollars worth of prizes.

The event saw players from around the world descend on London’s Excel Center to compete for prize money, but also the opportunity to compete at The Pokémon World Championships, which this year will take place in Anaheim, California.

The biggest tournament of the weekend, the Pokémon Video Game Championship finals, was won by Wolfe ‘Wolfey’ Glick, a Pokémon veteran, former world champion, and popular content creator. The second prize was won by British player Dyl Yeomans.

The Pokémon Company has announced its annual Pokemon Presents presentation to celebrate Pokémon Day will take place this week. 

The stream, which will include information about upcoming video game projects as well as other news, will air on February 27 at 2 PM UTC/GMT, 6 AM PT, and 9 AM ET.

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