At PokémonXP, a panel session with developers gave fans a closer look at how Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Pocket has grown over its first year and where it’s headed next. The discussion brought together Tetsuya Iguchi, Head of Business Unit at DeNA and producer of Pokémon Masters EX; Ryo Tsujikawa, Corporate Officer at Creatures Inc. and a former card game director for the Sun & Moon tabletop series; and Ryosuke Hanawa, Corporate Officer at The Pokémon Company, who has worked on marketing and events for the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield physical card sets.

Much of the conversation centered on a core challenge in digital card games: keeping the thrill of opening packs alive without making a set feel impossible to finish. Over the past year, Pocket rolled out major expansions like Mega Rising, Fantastical Parade, Pulsing Aura, and Ruler of the Skies, along with updates such as bulk gift acceptance, Wonder Pick changes, and card swapping. Hanawa said every feature is weighed carefully, since cards need to feel obtainable without making a finished collection lose its value.

That balance was tested around the first anniversary update tied to Mega Rising. Iguchi explained that internal data showed the last few cards in a set became disproportionately hard to get, a common issue in card games. The update addressed this by adding new ways for players to collaborate, introducing a card sharing feature, and including Illustration Rare cards in Wonder Pick.

The Share feature stood out to the team in particular. Hanawa noted that the player giving a card gets nothing in return, yet players still enjoy helping friends complete their binders, calling it one of the more rewarding parts of the game.

On the battle side, Creatures Inc. aimed to capture the feel of the physical Pokémon Trading Card Game rather than replace it. Tsujikawa, a longtime tabletop card game director, was tasked with shrinking deck sizes, simplifying energy generation, and adjusting win conditions while preserving strategic depth. He said the goal was never to make the game easier, just faster, and pointed to players moving from Pocket to physical cards as a meaningful sign of success.

The panel also covered the newest expansion, Team Rocket’s Ambition, which brings the franchise’s villains into the game and refreshes the main menu and shop visuals. Iguchi and Hanawa said the redesign was meant to make Team Rocket’s presence felt as soon as players open the app.

Tsujikawa highlighted a few standout cards, including Team Rocket’s Mr. Mime and Team Rocket’s Researcher, a Supporter card marking only the second time that honor has appeared in the franchise’s 30-year history. He also discussed Team Rocket’s Raticate ex, which lets players take energy directly from an opponent’s active Pokémon, a mechanic he said would be messy in physical play but works smoothly in a digital format.

Iguchi praised the bench control offered by Team Rocket’s Boss cards, while Hanawa pointed to Team Rocket’s Slowking ex for introducing a hand-scaling playstyle built around holding a large number of cards before attacking. The panel offered a look at how much planning goes into keeping both new and longtime fans engaged as Pokémon TCG Pocket enters its next phase.