Pokemon TCG Pocket is struggling to retain its players

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket According to a recently released earnings report regarding the free-to-play mobile card battler, it's getting harder to keep players engaged for long periods of time. While Pokemon TCG Pocket 2024 was one of the most popular new mobile games of 2020, and while it continued that momentum in its first full year, signs of a slowdown are starting to appear, and developer DeNA is looking for ways to capture the attention of players.

global projection of Pokemon TCG Pocket took the mobile gaming world by storm in late October 2024, offering players a free, digital version of one of the world's most popular collectible card games with slightly modified rules. A little over a week after its worldwide release, Pokemon TCG Pocket Crossing over 30 million downloads from players worldwide, a major player milestone, and that number has since grown to over 150 million in about a year and a half.

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Pokemon TCG Pocket is still struggling to retain long-time players

But new reports from DeNA reveal that many of the players who were around in the early days of the game have fallen behind, which could present challenges for maintaining highs. Pokemon TCG Pocket Players count as the game makes its way through its second full year. The recently released third quarter earnings statement from the developer suggested that the game continues to rack up new downloads even though monthly active users are declining. “While new user acquisition remains strong, the retention rate of existing users has decreased compared to the launch period, creating MAU. [monthly active user] Maintenance an issue,” reads the English translation of a portion of the report provided by Nintendo Patents Watch. Exact figures are not provided through the official report, but if the game fails to keep players' interest high, it could have a negative impact. Pokemon TCG Pocketthe future of

While the trend of retaining long-time players seems to be ongoing, this isn't the first time DeNA has brought it on. An earlier earnings report released a little more than six months ago identified similar problems with monthly active user retention and suggested that major overhauls Pokemon TCG PocketA card collection system can be implemented to solve the problem. Back in August 2025, DeNA's previous official statement noted a similar decline in player retention and suggested that major changes to card collections were likely to come within the calendar year. Many fans expected to see these changes implemented during the game's one-year anniversary event, and a re-release of the Deluxe Pack EX's core features and promo cards delivered on some fronts, but received mixed reactions from fans.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Deluxe Pack EX Reveal Trailer Thumb

Looks like DeNA has some ideas for improvement Pokemon TCG Pocket Through future expansions, though, the developer hasn't laid all its cards on the table. Some of the ideas listed in the report include running more in-game events and promotions, as well as “multi-layered initiatives.” But for many fans, those seem like vague keywords that don't indicate a clear plan of action, especially considering their feelings that the development team has failed to deliver on the major overhaul of the card collection system announced last summer.

To its credit, DeNA has implemented some changes to the game since the previous report. The release of Pokemon TCG PocketThe Fantastical Parade expansion, arriving on January 28, expands the collection of Mega Evolution EX cards, giving players more options to include the most powerful Pokemon cards in Psychic, Steel and Grass-type decks. In addition, the development team has improved the game's single-player experience, opening up the first round of solo battles against random decks, offering less predictable quick-play options at four different skill levels. And while many players still have complaints about the card trading system, DeNA has made continuous efforts to improve the experience, including the recent addition of allowing players to leave open messages regarding their trading preferences.