Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket won’t feature NFTs

The Pokémon Company has seemingly ruled out including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.

Revealed on Tuesday, the new digital Pokémon Trading Card Game experience is coming to iOS and Android devices in 2024.

The project is a collaboration between The Pokémon Company, Pokémon Trading Card Game creator Creatures Inc., and Pokémon Masters EX developer DeNA.

While it’s unclear if it will be free-to-play, users will be able to open two packs of digital cards per day free of charge, suggesting the game will be supported by in-app purchases.

Creatures Inc. president and CEO Yuji Kitano said it will feature “immersive cards [that] give players the experience of leaping into the world of the card illustration”, plus “streamlined game rules” designed for quick battles.

Given that rare Pokémon cards can swap hands for high prices in the real world, some players questioned whether the game’s digital collectibles might be sellable as NFTs.

However, in a statement issued to Polygon, The Pokémon Company distanced itself from cryptographic assets.

“The Pokémon Company International has not developed or approved of Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) related to the Pokémon brand and associated intellectual property,” it said.

“Fans should be aware that any NFTs in the marketplace featuring Pokémon intellectual property are unofficial and in no way affiliated with The Pokémon Company International or the Pokémon brand.”

Last year, The Pokémon Company was looking to recruit someone with blockchain, NFT and metaverse expertise, among other skills.

While not confirming that it was planning to release a series of Pokémon NFTs or a new Pokémon game that makes use of the blockchain, it did at least indicate that the company wanted to explore the technology.