Pokémon TCG Pocketis set to be the franchise’s next big hit for the iconic card game, so it is crucial to understand how packs and card collecting work. The mobile game isset to release worldwide on October 30, with an early test release currently going on in New Zealand. Like other mobile games,Pocketwill have monetization options. The first option is the premium in-game currency Poké Gold, which can be used for cosmetic purchases and speed up pack openings. There is also a premium pass that awards bonus missions, coins, and alternate art promo cards.
Along with collecting,early previews ofPokémon TCG Pocketalso showcase the battling aspect of the physical game. However, this has changed significantly to be an easier and quicker experience.The energy system has been redesigned, the decks are much smaller, and resistances/weaknesses work differently. Battles are won by knocking out an opponent’s Pokémon to reach three points. Regular cards count for one and EX cards are two.
How Pokémon TCG Pocket Packs Work
The Digital Collection
Packs inPocketwork fundamentally the same as physical ones, but with noticeable changes to fit the new systems.To start, players will get packs every 12 hours, up to a max of two. These must be opened to continue the counter and this counter can only be reduced with the use of Hourglass items. On release, the only set available will be Genetic Apex, which has around 280 total entries, includingthe must-have cards on release.
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Some cards are also limited to certain packs, so it will be important to know what is in the Charizard, Mewtwo, and Pikachu packs, respectively.Packs will contain five cards, and each card will have one of the various rarities in the game. The rarities of cards and how they are displayed are as follows:
Pokémon TCG Pocket Pack Rates For Rare Cards
A Trading Card Gacha
Cards and packs will have their set rates on the chances to pull them. Thanks toCentro Leaks, there is now a helpful visual understanding of the rates. To begin, packs can come in the form of Regular or Rare variants. There is a 99.95% chance that a pack will be Regular, which means it can hold any type of card. In contrast, Rare packs have a .05% chance of dropping but are guaranteed to reward Rare cards.
Centro Leaks also shows the present chances for cards of specific rarities to pop up.Just being able to see these rates is a huge boon for a game like this, but some of the rates may be shocking at first. This likely means that getting the rare cards as a free-to-play user will be difficult. However, sometimes that challenge is a large part of the fun. Regardless, these rates will need to be monitored on release to determine their fairness.
Will Pokémon TCG Pocket Pull Rates Change?
Striking The Right Balance
Whether rates will change forPocketwill likely depend on various factors. Firstly, there is the chance that different sets will have different pull rates, which could be good or bad depending on the results. Second, these current rates could be a baseline test to see how the community responds.A game like this works best when free-to-play players can still access the rarer cards moderately, but feel the benefit of paying to speed this up. If the rates are too low or too high, this will push people away from paying.
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The most likely outcome is these rates will stay as is, or get slight bumps to look more favorable. This is both for the business aspect and that the chase will be a large contribution to the success of the game. Other changes that could be made to supplement this are increasing the chance of Rare packs or the number of packs that can be opened in a day. These would allow for more chances to get rarer cards while not massively hurting the bottom dollar a free-to-play game needs to have.
Overall, while the rates are something to monitor, bearing any monumental changes, they are unlikely to be a major detractor of the game.Pokémon TCGis one of the most popular card games in the world, and giving people a chance to collect and play for free is a huge boon. If the rates stay as is, they will likely be annoying, but it will not be the sole reason a game with this much excitement fails. Regardless, it will be vital for thePokémon TCG Pocketto monitor and possibly make changes to pack rates for the game to have a sustainable future.
