Pokemon TCG Pocket, the popular mobile card game, is gearing up for a significant enhancement to its trading feature, which has long been a point of contention among players. An official in-game announcement has confirmed that a comprehensive system update will be rolled out on July 29.
The trading functionality, despite being a highly anticipated addition when it launched in January, quickly revealed several design flaws. Players found themselves limited by the introduction of “Trade Tokens,” a new special currency, and frustrated by extensive restrictions on which cards could be exchanged and with whom.
Shortly after its initial release, The Pokemon Company openly acknowledged these shortcomings. They explained that the restrictive trading system was implemented to curb potential abuse from bots and multi-account activities. However, they admitted this approach inadvertently prevented legitimate players from casually enjoying the feature as intended. At the time, the company pledged to explore more substantial changes and temporarily offered additional ways to earn Trade Tokens through in-game events.
The upcoming July 29 update is poised to directly address many of these concerns. The problematic “Trade Tokens” currency will be completely removed, and trading will no longer require players to consume additional cards. Instead, trades will now utilize “Shinedust,” an existing in-game currency that was previously primarily used for cosmetic upgrades. Furthermore, a new wishlist feature will be introduced, making it much simpler for players to indicate the specific cards they are looking to trade for.
To support Shinedust`s new, expanded role in the game`s economy, the amount of Shinedust players earn from duplicate cards will be doubled. Additionally, players will have the option to convert any “Trade Tokens” they currently possess into other valuable in-game currencies, including Shinedust or “pack hourglasses,” which are used to open card packs.
The Pokemon Company had previously hinted that this major rework of the trading system wouldn`t arrive until before the end of Autumn 2025, making this early July release a pleasant surprise for the community. Pokemon TCG Pocket recently expanded its collection with the “Eevee Grove” set on June 26, adding 100 new cards alongside various Eevee-themed cosmetic items. The game continues to maintain its popularity, having surpassed an impressive 100 million downloads back in February.
Fans eager for more updates on Pokemon TCG Pocket and other exciting Pokemon titles should mark their calendars for July 22, when a special Pokemon Presents livestream is scheduled to air.