The Pokemon Company International announced a new Pokemon Trading Card Game online app for playing the game. Pokemon TCG Live will come to Android and Apple iOS phones and tablets, as well as Windows PCs and Macs “soon.” However, in so doing, the existing Pokemon TCG Online mobile and PC game will be shut down.
The official announcement included details regarding how Pokemon TCG Live‘s existence will affect the Pokemon TCG Online shut down. Both games will use Pokémon Trainer Club accounts. This means all cards and some card sleeve, deck box, and coin accessories people earned in the old game will carry over to the new one. However, all decks you made, your friend lists, unopened packs and items, currency, avatar items, and the McDonald’s Happy Meal and HeartGold & SoulSilver Series cards will be lost in the transition. People will get in-game Crystals, the new currency, for any unopened items. Logging into the new game for the first time will transfer your account and its data. It will also mean you can’t use Pokemon TCG Online anymore.
As for why Pokemon TCG Online is being shut down, the following explanation was offered.
The Pokemon TCG Online will be sunsetted prior to the launch of Pokemon TCG Live so that saved content in players’ Pokemon TCG Online accounts can be migrated to Pokemon TCG Live, helping to ensure a more seamless transition for players. This also provides a more optimal experience by merging all fans into one app, offering a greater pool of people to digitally play the Pokemon TCG.
There’s no release date yet for the new application. However, there will be betas held before its launch. The Pokemon Company International announced that later in 2021, there will be a Canadian soft launch for Android and Apple iOS devices. There will also be a global PC open beta.
Here’s the first teaser trailer for the new game.
And here’s a sample of its gameplay.
