Pokemon TCG Pocket’s current enlargement, Shining Revelry, simply dropped this week. And whereas followers are having fun with the brand new line-up of shiny Pokemon playing cards in all the colours of the rainbow, there’s one which’s inflicting some division: a shiny Mewtwo ex card that is solely accessible to gamers who pay $23 in actual cash.
Here’s what is going on on: Mewtwo ex is a card that already exists within the recreation in a number of types. It was added within the very first set, Genetic Apex, which has a “common” model, an “immersive uncommon” model with Mewtwo bursting out of containment, and a “gold crown” model of Mewtwo in opposition to a gold background. All three variations have the very same strikes and energy ranges, so in a match, it does not matter which one you utilize. But they’re all various levels of uncommon, so for many who wish to “catch ’em all” so to talk, it’s important to trace down all three.
The Mewtwo ex in query right here is one other model of that very same card, with the identical results. The distinction is a beauty one: this Mewtwo ex is a “shiny”, so it is inexperienced as a substitute of pinkish, and has a distinct background. However, it additionally takes up a separate slot in your card assortment within the new Shining Revelry enlargement, which means collectors want it in the event that they wish to 100% full their assortment.
Here he’s, in all his shiny glory:
Unfortunately, the cardboard is barely accessible by way of one technique: by paying $22.99 in actual cash for a store bundle containing Poke Gold, a bunch of different Mewtwo-themed beauty objects (like a coin, a playmat, and so on), and the cardboard itself. There’s no different solution to get it, not by way of packs or Wonder Pick or anything.
Some gamers will not be reacting effectively to the information.
Their frustration is comprehensible. Pokemon TCG Pocket has been out for a number of months now and has gone by way of 4 totally different expansions of various sizes, in addition to a number of occasions. While gamers who pay actual cash have up til now had sure benefits by way of how briskly they will develop their collections and different beauty rewards, that is the primary time a card has been locked behind a gold bundle paywall. What’s extra, it is a bundle that is price excess of the cardboard by itself presumably can be, because it contains different objects like foreign money.
That stated, some followers are rolling their eyes a bit on the controversy. Several have identified that the cardboard is only beauty – it does not do something totally different from the opposite Mewtwo exes you’ll be able to receive, and for those who do not toggle on a sure possibility in your settings, you’ll be able to’t even see it is lacking out of your assortment. Others are declaring that previously, sure different promo playing cards have been locked behind having a Premium membership, which is itself a month-to-month paid subscription (albeit $12/mo, with different advantages).
Probably the most important concern from gamers, although, is the slippery slope of all of it. If Pokemon TCG Pocket is prepared to gate a Mewtwo ex this manner, will it gate different playing cards? What if the sport ultimately begins locking model new playing cards with new results behind paywalls, successfully requiring gamers to pay cash if they need that particular impact of their decks? Even although there isn’t any signal of that taking place simply but, some are nonetheless involved that, with time, it could.
IGN reached out to The Pokemon Company for touch upon this transformation, the criticism, and the potential of future playing cards being behind paywalls.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can discover her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a narrative tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
