Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Revenue Soars 265% Due to Shining Revelry Expansion

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Summary

  • Pokemon TCG Pocket’s revenue surged by 265% after the release of the Shining Revelry expansion.
  • The game generated over $400 million in just two months using the addictive gacha model.
  • Concerns have arisen about paywalls with the introduction of exclusive premium cards, potentially alienating free-to-play users.

The earnings of the Pokemon TCG Pocket game have skyrocketed by an impressive 265%, primarily due to the unveiling of its latest expansion. On March 27, Pokemon TCG Pocket dropped an unexpected mini-set named Shining Revelry, introducing a total of 111 fresh cards, and notably, two new types of rare shiny creatures. Similar to enthusiasts of other Pokemon games, the players of Pokemon TCG Pocket have been excitedly searching for these radiant cards, fueling a trend that is now thought to have caused this significant increase in revenue.

From the moment it was released, the game has demonstrated financial prosperity, with certain sources suggesting that TCG Pocket amassed more than $400 million in revenue within merely two months. Given its adherence to the gacha model, a gaming genre renowned for its engrossing, microtransaction-based mechanics, this achievement isn’t all that astonishing. Yet, the continuous growth in recurring income, such as the recent spike following Shining Revelry, underscores DeNA and The Pokemon Company’s triumph in their digital trading card game development.

Based on findings by PocketGamer.biz, a study by Sensor Tower shows that TCG Pocket earned approximately $26 million from March 27 to March 30. To give you an idea, its revenue saw a significant increase of 307% compared to the week preceding the game’s release. A substantial portion of this income is likely from Japan, as it was previously noted that Japanese players are the main spenders on TCG Pocket. However, the game has been attracting interest in countries like France, Taiwan, Canada, and the United States lately, which could lead to even more sales in the future.

TCG Pocket’s Revenue Spike Could Be a Bad Sign

The surge in sales validates the game’s widespread appeal, but the significant increase in revenue following the release of Shining Revelry has sparked worries about paywalls. In the latest expansion of TCG Pocket, a special bundle-exclusive card, the highly sought-after Mewtwo ex, was introduced, causing an uproar among free-to-play gamers. Some industry experts suspect that this premium card, crucial for completing the Pokedex, could be the primary factor driving the sales spike. While alternative free versions of this card exist, disgruntled players voice concerns that such practices might drive away free-to-play users, as missing even a few cards is unacceptable in a game focused on collecting every card and variant.

A number of app users are worried that this could mark the start of a downfall for free-to-play gamers, while others consider it less significant as premium cards often have costless alternatives maintaining fair game balance. Some optimistic fans theorize that these paid items might eventually become accessible to free players, following a pattern similar to Marvel SNAP‘s series drop system, where premium and scarce cards are made more obtainable gradually over time. For the moment, enthusiasts can merely anticipate the forthcoming updates of TCG Pocket to determine if the developer persists in restricting cards behind payment barriers.

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2025-04-02 12:26