Pokémon TCG Pocket’s esports director confirms no major competitive dreams

Since launching a bit over a year ago, there is no denying that Pokémon TCG Pocket has blown up. There has been a steady release of new cards and a rigid event schedule that borders on incredibly boring. And then there is the battling, which is pretty fun, it has to be said.

By this point, I am sure everyone knows how the game is played. You put down cards, stack energy, and try to destroy that weakling Meowth while your opponent keeps inexplicably flipping heads on the coin to prevent all damage. And did you know it procs from the bench too? Ruined my attack Lucario plan.  

I have had a couple of matches, and it does work quite well. However, if you are a bigger fan than me, then you might be left disappointed by a recent interview between Insider Gaming and Chris Brown, Pokémon's director of esports. You can read the full details on the Insider Gaming website, but the short version is that there are no plans to make Pocket one of Pokémon's main competitive titles. 

Pokémon TCG Pocket is not ready to be an esport

Now, before we go on, let me clarify something. When it comes to video games specifically, I am annoyingly competitive. I have to prove I am better than other people at games. However, I suck at your traditional esports genres, so I am by no means an authority here. 

Having said that, I agree that Pokémon TCG Pocket isn’t ready to be a big esports name. Not even close. The main driving force of that belief is the relatively small card pool, restricted deck sizes, and rampant meta decks. Now, meta options are a scourge in all esports and competitive games, but it feels much more prevalent here.

The 20-card deck size very much limits the variety of tactics there can be, and thanks to the amount of draw power available, you will probably end up resorting to the same moves you did last time. And I feel the size issue directly contributes to the meta deck problem.

Each set release just boils down to one or two new meta decks everyone flocks to, so you encounter the same setup every time, without the card space to combat them. Games boil down to who can ramp up to pull off the same, tired moves fastest.

Battles are fun, but I do think Pokémon TCG Pocket is a long way off from being a competitive title, if it ever could be. As Brown says, it is great as a casual experience, which is no bad thing. Sometimes you just want a quick match to wipe the board with your trusty Lucario.

Well, if it wasn’t for that bloody Meowth. 

Pokémon TCG Pocket is available from the App Store and Google Play.