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

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have announced significant improvements to the game's trading system, which has been a major pain point since its launch. These upcoming changes, detailed in a recent post on the Pokémon community forums, promise to overhaul the trading experience, although they won't be implemented until the fall of this year.

Removal of Trade Tokens

One of the most significant changes is the complete removal of Trade Tokens. Currently, players must sacrifice cards to obtain these tokens, which are necessary for trading. Under the new system, trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will require shinedust instead. Shinedust is earned automatically when players open booster packs and receive duplicates of cards already registered in their Card Dex. Since shinedust is also used to obtain flairs, the developers are planning to increase the amount available to accommodate its new role in trading. This change should allow players to trade more cards than before. Existing Trade Tokens will be converted to shinedust upon the update. Trading for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards will remain unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

Another exciting feature in the works is the ability to share cards you're interested in trading for within the game's trading function. Currently, there's no way to communicate desired trades within the game, forcing players to rely on external communication or guesswork, which has discouraged many from trading with strangers. This new feature will help players make more informed and reasonable trade offers, revitalizing the trading system.

The current Trade Token system has been widely criticized for being overly restrictive and costly. To trade a single ex Pokémon card, players must sacrifice multiple other ex cards just to acquire enough Trade Tokens. This system has discouraged many from trading altogether. The new shinedust system aims to address this by using a currency that players already accumulate passively, making trading more accessible and less punishing.

While the introduction of shinedust as a trading currency is a welcome change, it's important to maintain some cost to trading to prevent system abuse, such as players creating multiple accounts to farm and trade rare cards. The shinedust system strikes a balance, allowing more trading while still requiring thoughtful exchanges.

Despite the positive reception to these changes, there are some downsides. Players who have already sacrificed rare cards to obtain Trade Tokens will not be able to recover those cards, even though their tokens will convert to shinedust. Moreover, the long wait until the fall for these updates means that trading may come to a near standstill in the meantime, as players are unlikely to continue using the current system knowing a better solution is on the horizon.

Overall, the community's response to these announced changes has been overwhelmingly positive, with many looking forward to a more user-friendly and effective trading system in Pokémon TCG Pocket. Until then, players are advised to save their shinedust for the upcoming changes.