Each day, players of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket log on, choose a pack of digital cards, and open it. The basic premise has led fans to collectively spend millions of real-life dollars in the game, but since its release, this core part of the app has been scrutinized by fans.
To open a pack of cards in Pocket is a multistep process. Players must first choose the theme for a booster pack — Mewtwo, Charizard, or Pikachu — then pick a single pack among a rotating carousel of sealed, digitally rendered products. Once they do that, players have to “rip” open the pack in order to get five cards. It’s definitely flashy, but as it works now, it’s not clear whether the pack you choose from the carousel matters, or if the cards you receive are predetermined. Ambiguity about this part of the game has kicked up questions — and theories — within its player base.
Many people online say that no, it doesn’t matter which pack you pick. This position is supported both by enthusiasts who have shown analysis of how the game’s code works and the fact that players have the option to skip the pack-picking carousel entirely. However, others online say that your choice does matter, and some have spread several unconfirmed theories about how to choose the “rare” packs.
Polygon asked the TCG Pocket development team about whether picking the pack matters, and it declined to give a clear answer.
“While Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket draws inspiration from the experience of opening physical Pokémon TCG booster packs, we are unable to share specifics at this time,” The Pokémon Company International told Polygon via email.
It’s clear that TCG Pocket isn’t intended to be a one-to-one re-creation of the tabletop version. In the analog version of the game, the choice would matter, since separately packaged booster packs contain different combinations of cards. But with TCG Pocket, the developers won’t say if your choice impacts the cards you get.
Knowing one way or the other won’t impact whether people get rare or desirable Pokémon cards. In the pack selection phase, you can’t tell what you’re going to get, so if it’s predetermined it doesn’t change the outcome. However, the lack of clarity from the game’s developers around pack generation is a transparency issue that impacts how some people see and play the game, with potential real-life consequences.
While some people have made memes about the “illusion of choice,” others online have been pushing theories and what some describe as “glitches” that allow people to choose better packs. On X and Reddit, I have seen people say that visibly “bent” packs have a stronger chance of producing a rare card. In TCG Pocket, players have the option to spend money in the game in order to open additional card packs. I can see a world where, if a person thinks they know how to get rare packs easily, they might be more inclined to spend money in the game.
Adapting a tabletop game to a digital format comes with its own challenges; the team put a lot of thought and care into making the gameplay behind opening cards a memorable and enjoyable experience. That’s not a small feat given players are using their phones to open packs.
It is an issue, however, when a lack of clarity influences how people act in the game. We’re talking about a game that’s inspired by opening card packs, a hobby that’s not unlike gambling, since you don’t know exactly what each pack contains until you open it. With each pack you pay to open, you roll the dice on getting a cool-looking or powerful card. In this regard, the game is clear, and players can check drop rates for different cards — but with the game mechanics, not so much.
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