Developers behind Pokémon TCG Pocket are gearing up to overhaul the trading system by getting rid of the unpopular Trade Token currency. An update detailing these changes was announced on the game’s forums early Friday morning, though players can expect these new features to roll out towards the end of autumn 2025.
This announcement comes after a period of over a month during which Creatures Inc. and DeNA were rather quiet. They had previously pledged to improve the trading mechanism that was initially launched on January 29 but promised to make adjustments soon after due to significant player dissatisfaction.
The crux of the players’ complaints revolved around Trade Tokens, which were needed for in-game trades. To obtain these tokens, players had to dismantle duplicate cards from their collections, making the exchange of high-value cards quite expensive. In response, the developers revealed plans to replace this with a new currency called shinedust.
“When you crack open a booster pack and find a card you already have in your Card Dex, you’ll automatically earn shinedust,” the developers explained. They also mentioned that because shinedust is also currently needed for obtaining flair, they are considering increasing its availability since it will soon be a crucial element for trading as well.
However, there’s no word yet on how much shinedust will be necessary for trades of varying stellar and diamond ratings. Fortunately, shinedust is fairly easy to come by, thanks to the game’s frequent events. The developers note that, with these changes, players should be able to trade more liberally than they previously could.
Alongside these changes, two other features are being developed. Soon, players will be able to share lists of cards they’re interested in trading for—a feature that felt noticeably absent until now. Additionally, the team is looking into expanding the trading capabilities for two-star rarity and promotional cards, which currently can’t be traded at all.
Given that these changes won’t come into play until next fall, more information about the shinedust costs is likely to surface later. Although there’s still a long wait ahead, these updates promise a more flexible trading environment.
