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ThePokemon Trading Card Gamehas been around for nearly 30 years, but The Pokemon Company only began digitalizing it in 2023 with the launch ofPokemon TCG Live, its first competitive, TCG-based video game. Essentially a digital version of theTrading Card Game, it aimed to bring the trading card experience to mobile devices. Then, in 2024, The Pokemon Company, in collaboration with DeNA and Creatures, introduced another TCG game,Pocket. And despite the similar goal of delivering the TCG experience on the go,Pocketadds a unique twist.
Are Pokemon TCG Pocket and Pokemon TCG Live Connected?
Although the physicalPokemon Trading Card Gameinspires bothPokemon TCG PocketandPokemon TCG Live,they are entirely separate games with no connections. Each game centers around collecting Pokemon cards and battling, but no cross-progression or cross-play is available between them.
What’s Different Between Pokemon TCG Pocket and Live?
TCG PocketandTCG Livediffer in their approaches to card acquisition, deck-building, combat, rules, microtransactions, progression, and game modes. Here’s a breakdown.
Card Acquisition
InPocket,cards are earned by opening free and paid booster packs. Free-to-play players can open two packs daily, with the option to expand this by spending in-game currencies. InLive, the main methods for acquiring cards are the free Battle Pass and physicalPokemon TCGpacks. The Battle Pass rewards new cards based on player progression in matches, while the physical packs come with redeem codes that unlock their digital counterparts in the game.
Microtransaction
PokemonTCG Pocket places a strong emphasis on microtransactions, offering paid currencies like Poke Gold. While players don’t need to pay to progress, they’ll need these currencies to open more packs and access better cards. In contrast,Pokemon TCG Livehas minimal microtransactions. Players primarily pay for physical booster packs, digital pack codes, or premium passes to earn extra cards, which are way cheaper compared toPocket’s monetization system.
Combat and Rules
In terms of combat and rules,Pokemon TCG Pocketoffers a simpler version of the original game. Matches are shorter, the card roster is limited, the player’s hand and bench size are smaller, and the Prize Card mechanic is replaced with knockout points. Here’s a breakdown:
- InPocket, you win by knocking out the opponent’s Active Pokemon three times. InLive, you collect six Prize Cards, earned through various actions, to win.
2.Pocketallows three Pokemon on the bench, whileLiveallows five.
3.Pocketplayers can hold only five cards in their hand, whileLiveallows seven.
- Damage distribution differs inPocket, with Pokemon having fewer damage points than inLive.
- Certain features fromLive, like Resistance and Pokemon V cards, are absent inPocket.
6.Pocketlacks a Mulligan mechanic, so you’re guaranteed to start with a Basic.Liveuses RNG from the beginning, so you might not get a Basic in your starter hand and need a Mulligan.
Progression
Pokemon TCG Liveencourages players to compete against others to progress on the ranked leaderboards. In contrast,Pokemon TCG Pocketfocuses more on collecting cards. Progression is driven by opening more packs,unlocking rarer Pokemon, and showcasing or trading them with other players through the game’s social features.
Game Modes
The game modes inPokemon TCG Liveare mostly digital replicas of the physical game’s modes, such as Standard and Expanded, along with additions like Casual and Ranked. These modes follow the same combat rules as the physical game but serve slightly different purposes.
InPokemon TCG Pocket, players can choose between PvP andchallenging friends to friendly matches, similar toLive. However, the key difference is thatPocketoffers the option to play against AI, which isn’t available inLive.
Deck-Building
The biggest difference betweenPokemon TCG PocketandPokemon TCG Livedecks is their size. InPocket, decks are limited to 20 cards, with only two variants of the same card allowed. InLive, decks consist of 60 cards, and you can have up to four of each Pokemon or utility card.
Additionally,Pocketlacks Stadium and Tool cards, focusing only on Trainer (Item and Supporter) and Pokemon cards. UnlikeLive, there’s no way inPocket’s matches to search your deck for specific cards, whereasLiveincludes utility cards like Ultra Ball for that purpose.
Why There Are Two Digital Pokemon TCG Games?
Asreported by Nerdist,Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Executive Corporate Officer, Keita Hirobe, stated in a pre-launch interview that the goal ofPocketis to create an immersive experience forPokemonfans who are new to the trading card game aspect of the franchise.
Hirobe further explained, “Pocketis our idea to make [thePokemon TCG] more approachable and accessible to a wider range of players.” He contrasted this withPokemon TCG Live, describing it as an extension of the physical card game aimed at helping players learn the rules and test decks. In contrast,Pocketemphasizes the card-collecting experience, blending card-collection and competition elements in one digital format.
