Pokémon Trading Card Game Live
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Pokémon Trading Card Game Live (also referred to as Pokémon TCG Live) is a free-to-play digital version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the successor to the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices.
| Pokémon Trading Card Game Live | |
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 Logo of Pokémon Trading Card Game Live | |
Basic info
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| Platform: | Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android |
| Category: | Strategy card game |
| Players: | 1-2 |
| Connectivity: | Internet |
| Developer: | The Pokémon Company International |
| Publisher: | The Pokémon Company International |
| Part of: | Generation VIII miscellaneous |
Ratings
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| CERO: | N/A |
| ESRB: | E |
| ACB: | G |
| OFLC: | |
| PEGI: | 3 |
| GRAC: | N/A |
| GSRR: | N/A |
Release dates
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| Japan: | N/A |
| North America: | February 22, 2022 (Canadian beta) June 8, 2023 (global launch) |
| Australia: | July 19, 2022 (beta) June 8, 2023 (global launch) |
| Europe: | August 14, 2022 (German, French and Italian beta) June 8, 2023 (global launch) |
| South Korea: | N/A |
| Hong Kong: | N/A |
| Taiwan: | N/A |
Websites
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| Japanese: | N/A |
| English: | Pokémon.com |
Originally planned for 2021, an announcement on Nov 4, 2021 delayed the mobile soft launch in Canada, as well as a global open beta for desktop, to 2022.[1] The Canadian limited beta was announced on February 16, 2022[2] and launched on February 22, 2022 for Android, Windows, and macOS in both English and French, with iOS and iPadOS to be added later.[3] On May 24, 2022, the limited beta became available on all platforms in Canada and Mexico (and in Spanish), along with cross-platform play,[4] and on July 19, 2022, was expanded to Australia and New Zealand.[5] On November 15, 2022, the global beta became available, supporting English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.[6]
The game would launch globally on June 8, 2023, closely following the shutdown of its predecessor on June 5, 2023.
Among the main differences to its predecessor is an overhaul of the game's interface, the absence of cards from the HeartGold & SoulSilver series as well as the trading system to streamline gameplay, and being able to obtain individual cards in the new client with one of the game's currencies. The game has all cards released internationally from the Black & White expansion ownards, initially with only cards in the Sword & Shield expansion series being playable, with new products being released in periodic updates.
Gameplay
By using the available decks or those created by the user, matches against other players can be joined in Ranked Mode (Standard format only) or Casual Mode (on the Standard or Expanded format). The game has multiple reward systems for playing them through player level, monthly Ladders and expansion-themed Battle Passes, giving the player resources to obtain more cards or adding cosmetic items for their collection.
Other features include adding other users as friends to play friendly battles and being able to test decks against the game's AI which will use one of the current starter decks.
Redeeming code cards
- Main article: Code Card
Certain physical Pokémon Trading Card Game products will come with a unique code card that can be used to redeem virtual cards or other virtual products for the TCG Live. Code cards are available in physical Theme Decks, Elite Trainer Boxes, Booster packs and other products that state that they contain a code card or contain the TCG Live symbol on the packaging, and unlock a respective or related product to where it was available. Code cards created for Pokémon TCG Online can be used into TCG Live.
Shopping
Players can have access to the following currencies:
- Coins are used to purchase cosmetic items such as avatar items, deck boxes, card sleeves and (gameplay) coins.
- Crystals are used to purchase Booster packs, card bundles and pre-constructed decks, all which reflect real-life distributions. The Premium Battle Passes are also purchased with Crystals, and Crystals can be converted into Coins.
- When the player receives a card that already has four copies of in their collection, that card is automatically converted into a number of Credits. These are used to purchase specific cards without relying on opening booster packs or similar products.
Card Drop Rates
Booster packs in the TCG Live have 6 cards per pack (5 for expansions before Scarlet & Violet) as opposed to 10 cards from real life, at the usual rarity/drop rates:
- 1 Common card*
- 1 Common or Uncommon card*
- 1 Uncommon card*
- 1 Foil Common to Foil Rare card (for 6-card packs)
- 1 Foil Common to Foil Rare or Rare and above card
- 1 Rare to Ultra Rare card
There is a small chance that the cards with a * will be of a rarity above Rare Holo instead.
Collector Crates are another kind of bundle obtainable from the Ladder and Battle Pass rewards, awarding 9 cards of a specific expansion at the following rarity/drop rates:
- 2 Common Foil cards
- 2 Uncommon Foil cards
- 2 Foil Rare or Rare to Illustration Rare cards
- 2 Ultra Rare cards
- 1 Special Illustration Rare or Hyper Rare card
Transfers from TCGO
Both Live and Pokémon Trading Card Game Online utilize Pokémon.com's Trainer Club account system. As long as players did not migrate their Pokémon TCG Online collection to Pokémon TCG Live's beta, they were free to play either game for as long as TCGO remained available. Players that did decide to migrate their data to TCG Live during the testing period were unable to log in to TCG Online.[7] PTCGO shut down officially on June 7, 2023, though data migration is still possible until further notice.
Items transferred to Live include:
- All cards from the Black & White Series onwards
- Four copies of standard cards
- One copy of ACE SPEC cards, Prism Star cards, and pieces of Pokémon V-UNION cards
- 59 copies of Basic Energy cards
- At the launch of Live, cards from the Black & White Series, XY Series, and certain cards from the Classic Collection of the Celebrations expansion (those originally printed before Sun & Moon) could not be used.
- One copy of accessories (deck boxes, coins and card sleeves) that have a real-life counterpart or were from certain special events
Note: When the game was initially announced, cards from Sun & Moon series released before Lost Thunder were also listed as being unavailable at launch.
Unopened products are not transferrable but the player will be reimbursed for them with Crystals.
- 1-9 items: 500 Crystals
- 10-24 items: 1100 Crystals
- 25-49 items: 2,250 Crystals
- 50-124 items: 4,700 Crystals
- 125 or more items: 12,400 Crystals
Note: When the game was initially announced, the listed Crystal reimbursements were half these amounts.
See Also
In other languages
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References
- ↑ @PokemonTCG on Twitter
- ↑ Pokémon TCG Live Makes its Canadian Debut in Limited Beta
- ↑ Pokémon TCG Live Available in Canada in Limited Beta
- ↑ Pokémon TCG Live Available in Canada and Mexico in Limited Beta
- ↑ Pokémon TCG Live Available in Select Countries and Territories in Limited Beta
- ↑ Challenge Players Across the World with the Launch of Pokémon TCG Live’s Global Beta
- ↑ Pokémon.com Support
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This article is part of both Project Sidegames and Project TCG, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames and TCG, respectively. | 
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