Although Pokemon TCG Pocket has achieved remarkable success since its launch last year, not all features have resonated well with players. The trade tokens introduced in late January faced significant backlash, as players were required to destroy duplicate cards to obtain them. In response to player feedback, the game’s developers have announced the removal of trade tokens, replacing them with a new in-game currency: shinedust.
According to official communications, trade tokens will be eliminated from the game by this fall, with shinedust taking their place for card transactions. Players will see any leftover trade tokens in their collections converted to shinedust during this transition.
Shinedust will primarily be used for trading cards that possess three-diamond, four-diamond, or one-star rarity. While the specific cost in shinedust for these trades has yet to be disclosed, players will earn shinedust automatically whenever they acquire a card already registered in their Card Dex. The developers are also exploring options to increase the shinedust rewards given to players.
Future updates will enhance the in-game trading system, allowing players to specify the cards they wish to trade. Additionally, developers are investigating ways to enable trading for currently non-tradeable cards, such as promo cards and two-star rarity cards.
The Triumphant Light expansion for Pokemon TCG Pocket was launched at the end of February, coinciding with the game’s milestone of surpassing 100 million downloads. In related news, the gaming division responsible for Pokemon Go was recently acquired in a significant deal, which will not impact plans for Pokemon Go Fest events scheduled this summer. Moreover, the upcoming Pokemon Switch game has revealed details about its starter Pokemon, generating excitement ahead of its anticipated launch later this year.
