In a surprising move, Creatures Inc., the developer behind Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, has distributed 1,000 Trade Tokens to players. This gesture comes amidst ongoing efforts to address the controversial trading mechanics that have sparked significant backlash. Players can find these tokens in their Gift menu upon logging in today, and while no accompanying message was provided, Creatures Inc. took to X/Twitter to express gratitude for the community's feedback and patience.
The trading feature, which was introduced last week, faced immediate criticism for being "hilariously toxic," "predatory," and "downright greedy." This criticism stems from the game's existing mechanics that limit players from opening packs, engaging in Wonder Picking, and now, trading without spending real money. The new trading system further restricts players by requiring Trade Tokens, which have a high cost to obtain. Players must delete five cards from their collections to trade just one card of the same rarity, a move that has been widely criticized.
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It's been eight days since the trading feature was rolled out, facing intense criticism. Creatures Inc. had hinted at potential issues nearly three weeks before the release, acknowledging fans' concerns and inviting them to provide feedback once the feature was live. Despite these assurances, the actual implementation did not meet players' expectations. The developer has since admitted that "some of the restrictions put in place are preventing players from being able to casually enjoy" trading.
In response to the outcry, Creatures Inc. promised to introduce required items as rewards in upcoming events to alleviate complaints. However, the recently launched Cresselia ex Drop Event on February 3 did not include these promised rewards, further frustrating the community.
Many fans believe the trading system is designed primarily to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly earned $200 million in its first month before trading was even introduced. This suspicion is reinforced by the inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher. If players could easily trade for these cards, they wouldn't need to spend significant amounts of money—$10, $100, or more—for a chance at obtaining them. One player reportedly spent around $1,500 just to complete the first set, and the third set in three months was released last week.
