We got our first hands-on with Pokémon TCG Pocket—and opened packs for days

At the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dot Esports got a first hands-on with Pokémon TCG Pocket, a mobile and digital take on the popular TCG game.

While the gameplay was nowhere to be seen, eventgoers in Hawaii could open up packs to simulate how pack opening works on launch. We were given access to three packs known as Genetic Apex with a Pokémon name in front of it and were told that each pack had its cards to discover.

Of course, we got to work, opening tons of packs to try and find rare and shiny cards knowing full well we had no chance of finding them when the game eventually goes live. The rarity odds were obviously bloated for the demonstration, but we didn’t care—we just wanted to see what things were available.

What is cool about the rarer cards is that if you hold them and tilt them, you can see either the holographic effect in real time or that some cards have depth and almost pop out in a 3D image. Each card has unique effects, too, which makes any potential future decks a bling deck waiting to happen.

After opening a dozen packs, I finally got what I had been searching for: The previously teased animated artwork Pikachu card. I rushed to hurriedly get my phone out to record the artwork in person for the first time, and it was as incredible as I had hoped for.

Watching yourself enter into the artwork on a TCG card is breathtaking. Exploring what you don’t usually see beyond the borders all come to life with crisp animations is just amazing to see. I can already tell trainers will be on the hunt for these cards from day one, and hopefully, there is a way to craft or get them outside of just opening packs. Otherwise, I feel our wallets will fear Pocket’s launch date.

Some of the staff members at the event said to look forward to the release on a specific date. When I asked for clarification of the game’s release window with a TPCi representative, I was told that this was a miscommunication from the employees and was not the actual release date at all.

Still, with Worlds ongoing and many new projects and announcements expected on Championship Sunday, maybe we might get the official release date for Pocket and details on how the game works outside of the pack opening function.