Creatures Inc., the developer behind the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, has recently provided players with 1,000 Trade Tokens, sufficient for only two significant trades. This move comes as the company continues to explore solutions for the contentious trading mechanic that has stirred significant backlash within the community.
Upon logging in today, players will discover these Trade Tokens in their Gift menu, though without any accompanying message. Creatures Inc. took to X/Twitter to express gratitude for the feedback and patience shown by fans. Last week, the developer faced harsh criticism, being labeled "hilariously toxic," "predatory," and "downright greedy" following the introduction of trading to the game.
The trading system in Pokémon TCG Pocket not only restricts players from opening packs or using Wonder Picking excessively without real-world money expenditure but also introduces Trade Tokens as an additional barrier. Players have voiced frustration over the high cost of acquiring these tokens, which requires them to remove five cards from their collections to trade just one card of the same rarity.
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It has been eight days since the trading feature was rolled out amidst a storm of negative feedback. Creatures Inc. had previously hinted at the feature's reception almost three weeks ago, acknowledging fans' concerns and inviting them to try it out and share their feedback. Despite initial optimism, the reality did not meet players' expectations. The developer later admitted that "some of the restrictions put in place are preventing players from being able to casually enjoy" trading.
In response to the criticism, Creatures Inc. promised to introduce required items as rewards in upcoming events to alleviate player complaints. However, the recent Cresselia ex Drop Event, launched on February 3, did not include these promised rewards, further frustrating the community.
Many fans believe that 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 implemented. The inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher supports this view, as it prevents players from easily acquiring missing cards, pushing them to spend $10, $100, or even more on random pack openings. For instance, one player spent around $1,500 just to complete the first set, while the third set in three months was released last week.
