Pokémon TCG Pocket will reach its second anniversary in a couple of months, but DeNA’s latest financial results point to a sharp decline. Monthly active users have fallen by more than 41 per cent compared with the same period last year, while the company’s sales are down by a third.
The mobile adaptation launched with several powerful advantages. Pokémon remains the world’s biggest entertainment property, and interest in the physical trading card game was already surging. Pocket offered a convenient way to open digital booster packs, build collections, battle friends and enjoy the steady rewards associated with a gacha game.
That initial appeal was weakened by obvious design problems, unresolved frustrations and concerns about a colourful game presenting gambling-style mechanics to children. The result is a game that remains attractive on the surface while becoming increasingly difficult for committed players to enjoy.
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Immersive Cards remain the big draw
The strongest feature is still the card animation system. Known as Immersive Cards, these collectibles come alive when viewed, expanding beyond the original card artwork to reveal animated Pokémon worlds. They remain genuinely impressive and are the main reason many dedicated players continue logging in.
For some players, the appeal has outlasted battling, completing sets and organising themed digital binders. The problem is that focusing on Immersive Cards makes the app’s collection mechanics particularly frustrating: access to desirable alternate-art cards is restricted, while duplicate bulk cards arrive in enormous numbers.
Pull rates are the loudest complaint
DeNA’s first-quarter results prompted a familiar response from the community: improve the pull rates. In the physical Pokémon TCG, players have generally expected roughly one ultra-rare-or-better card in every four packs in recent years. Pocket can feel far less generous.
Opening 10 packs without receiving a full-art card or even a basic ex card is possible. Some players report collecting 40 or more copies of the same bulk card while receiving none of the Immersive Cards they want. Whether the system is technically working as designed is beside the point; the experience feels heavily weighted towards repetition.
Another recurring request is a universal pack-point system. Players receive five pack points for each pack opened, including the two free daily packs, but those points are locked to the relevant expansion. A regular bulk card costs 35 points, an Immersive Card costs 1,500, and the rarest gold cards cost 2,500. That makes an Immersive Card equivalent to 300 packs, while a gold card represents 500 packs.
Universal points would allow progress from one expansion to help complete another. For collectors still missing several Immersive Cards, that change would make the system feel like a genuine alternative to relying entirely on luck.
Trading and events have not solved the retention problem
Trading arrived roughly a year after launch, despite being central to the idea of a trading card game. Its restrictions have remained a major source of frustration: players cannot trade some of the cards they most want to exchange, including Immersive Cards. Duplicate copies therefore remain stuck in collections rather than becoming useful to other players.
A large 2.7GB update released at the end of July was described as bringing an important Unity version change and substantial improvements. In practice, the most noticeable result for some players was a more confusing mission screen. Problems identified in November 2024 have, according to the player experience described here, largely remained unresolved.
Events have also settled into a repetitive pattern. Typical objectives include using Wonder Pick three times, battling five times or opening four packs, with rewards that often provide little motivation. Battle leagues are similarly dependent on chasing the current meta, a difficult proposition when key cards can be so difficult to obtain.
For many daily players, the routine has been reduced to opening the free packs and completing missions for Hourglasses. What began as a collecting hobby can start to feel like an obligation rather than entertainment.
The Premium Pass offers little value
The Premium Pass has been another persistent sore point. It effectively adds an extra free pack each day, alongside decorative items and a limited number of Hourglasses. Players have long asked for more substantial benefits, but the monthly tasks are generally completed incidentally by anyone who opens the app every few days.
That lack of ambition is especially noticeable because the pass has continued since launch. Its limited rewards and low-effort objectives make it difficult to view as good value, even for players who remain invested in the game.
RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide covers a different kind of long-term gaming investment, but the same principle applies: a compelling core experience needs meaningful reasons for players to return.
DeNA’s numbers show the cost of stagnation
DeNA reported $235 million in revenue and $46 million in operating profit for the first quarter of 2026. Company-wide revenue was down 11 per cent year on year, while operating profit fell 46 per cent. The company also operates automotive and medical businesses, but Pokémon TCG Pocket has been a significant contributor to its performance.
DeNA said it would pursue “multi-layered initiatives”, including events and promotions intended to increase login frequency, retention and player activity. The company also told investors that the decline was within its expectations.
That response may indicate that further changes are planned, but two years of unresolved requests have left players sceptical. Better pull rates, universal pack points, more useful trading and stronger events could all make a difference. Without them, Pocket risks following the familiar path of many gacha games: a huge launch, gradual disengagement and a slow fade despite a genuinely excellent central idea.
Those animated cards remain special. The disappointment is that the systems surrounding them have not done enough to keep the wider experience equally compelling.
For collectors interested in physical gaming hardware, browse RETROCADE’s arcade machines and virtual pinball machines.
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