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

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have finally announced significant updates to the game's trading system, which has been widely criticized since its launch. These improvements sound promising, but players will need to wait until the fall to experience them.

In a detailed post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the upcoming changes:

Removal of Trade Tokens

• Trade Tokens Eliminated: The current trading currency, Trade Tokens, will be completely removed. Players will no longer need to sacrifice cards to obtain this currency.
• Introduction of Shinedust: Trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust. This currency is earned automatically when opening booster packs and obtaining duplicate cards already registered in your Card Dex.
• Shinedust Allocation: Since shinedust is also used to obtain flair, the developers are considering increasing its availability to support trading. This change should facilitate more frequent card trades.
• Conversion of Existing Tokens: Current Trade Tokens will be converted to shinedust once the update is implemented.
• No Changes for Lower Rarities: The trading system for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards remains unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

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

The current Trade Token system has been a significant barrier to trading. Players needed to destroy multiple high-value cards to gather enough tokens to trade even a single card, which discouraged many from using the system. The new shinedust system, already familiar to players as a currency for purchasing flairs, promises to be more user-friendly and less costly.

Shinedust is earned passively through duplicate cards and can also be obtained through in-game events. This change should encourage more trading, as players typically accumulate shinedust without even trying, especially if they aren't heavily investing in flairs.

While some form of trading cost is necessary to prevent exploitation of the system, the Trade Token method was excessively punitive. The shift to shinedust is a welcome change.

The ability to share desired trade cards is another crucial update. Currently, there's no way to communicate trade interests within the game, making it challenging to find suitable trades. This new feature should significantly improve the trading dynamics and encourage more players to engage with the system.

Community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, though there's a significant downside: players have already sacrificed many rare cards to accumulate Trade Tokens, and those cards are irretrievably lost. While existing tokens will convert to shinedust, the loss of rare cards remains a sore point.

The major drawback is the timeline for these changes. The developers have indicated that these updates won't be implemented until the fall, leaving players to struggle with the current system for months. This extended wait may lead to a further decline in trading activity, as players are reluctant to continue sacrificing cards for a system soon to be replaced.

In the meantime, players are encouraged to save their shinedust in anticipation of the new trading system. The hope is that once implemented, the "trading" in "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket" will finally live up to its name.