Pokémon TCG Pocket Release Guide

On By Littum

The next evolution of Pokémon TCG is almost here, with Pokémon TCG Pocket ready to release and bring the massively popular card game to mobile devices in a brand new format.

With Pokémon cards exclusive to the app, a whole new way to play the card game, and tons of ways to collect or build your collection, Pokémon TCG Pocket will change the game. And with such a high set of additions for a global TCG, the only thing many players will be looking for is how to get into the game as soon as possible.

With Pokémon TCG Pocket fast approaching, here’s everything you need to know about when it’s released, which platforms you can play it on, and how you can get early access if you can’t wait for the global release .

Two players battle in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Screenshot via The Pokemon Company

For players worldwide, Pokémon TCG Pocket launches fully on 30 October. This follows a month of pre-release testing in specific areas such as New Zealand in September.

At launch, Pokémon TCG Pocket will be available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. There is currently no news on whether it will also launch on other platforms in the future, as it is intended for a casual audience and fully designed for mobile.

Pokémon TCG Live, and its predecessor TCG Online, eventually had playable versions on Apple, Android and PC – so there’s hope for a PC client, although a Nintendo Switch version is unlikely.

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To play TCG Pocket, you need an iPhone 8 or later, iOS13 or later with 2GB or more available RAM. Likewise, Android users must be running Android 7.0 or later on 64-bit with 3GB or more RAM.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is a game designed to let players easily open digital packs, collect cool art and compete in a new Pokémon TCG format. In The Pokémon Company’s own words, it’s designed to let players “enjoy Pokémon cards anytime, anywhere, on your mobile device!”

For casual fans of the Pokémon TCG, this is an easy way to collect cards and play in a digital format that differs from the physical or TCG Live versions. And for collectors or hardcore players, TCG Pocket offers cards you can’t find anywhere else and new challenges to tackle.

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Pokemon TCG Pocket

Pokémon TCG Pocket is free to download and play at no cost if you want to collect and battle with Pokémon cards. However, there are microtransactions available in the game that you can purchase to get even more goodies.

For example, there is an in-game subscription that you can purchase that will give you an extra card pack per day when you log in and more missions to complete for rewards such as exclusive promo cards.

If you can’t wait for Pokémon TCG Pocket’s full release, you can access it early by creating a new profile on your phone and using a VPN to change your phone’s location to New Zealand. If you do, you can download the game from your favorite app store and play the game a few days early.

There are other methods as well, but they involve downloading from third-party sources that may be unreliable.

Just be aware that regardless of the method, you’ll want to make sure the app registers your main account and not someone else when you load. Otherwise, you will likely lose all game progress if you need to delete the app or download it again.