Pokémon TCG Pocket Loses Nearly Half Its Players, And It's Obvious Why

Key Points:

• Pokémon TCG Pocket, a mobile re-imagining of the popular card game, is experiencing a significant decline, with sales down by a third and player numbers dropping over 41% compared to last year.
• Despite its initial popularity due to immersive animated cards and satisfying pack-opening mechanics, the game suffers from poor pull rates, frustrating pack point systems, and unaddressed long-standing issues.
• Key player complaints include restrictive and unfair card distribution, lack of universal pack points, poor trading functionality, stale events, and an underwhelming Premium Pass that offers minimal value despite ongoing subscription fees.
• DeNA's recent large update failed to improve core gameplay elements, and the game’s daily engagement has dwindled to a repetitive routine with little motivation for players to stay invested.
• Financially, DeNA reported $46 million operating profit in Q1 2026, but overall revenue and profit are declining, prompting the company to plan new initiatives aimed at increasing player retention and engagement.