Pokémon fans left confused as upcoming game is left in new hands

MAIN series Pokémon games usually come about once a year, but they’re not the only games in the franchise. 

There are also a number of spinoff titles that come to various platforms, including Nintendo Switch, but more often mobile platforms like Android and iOS. 

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The next spinoff game in the Pokémon franchise was announced back in February, on Pokémon Day, and it’s a fun new twist on the trading card game. 

Pokémon TCG Pocket offers a streamlined rule set and modernised, collectible cards with gorgeous artwork. 

Players will be able to open two booster packs for free every day, and there will be some cards exclusive to the game. 

The game will be released on Android and iOS at some point in 2024, but no firm release date has been set yet. 

TCG Pocket is a collaboration between The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc. – the creator of the original card game – and Japanese developer DeNA. 

DeNA is leading up development of TCG Pocket, with its Digital Production Co. subsidiary said to be developing it. 

The company announced late last month, though, that it was changing the name of Digital Production Co. and refocusing the studio solely on Pokémon products. 

The new company is called Pokémon Card D Studio, and is co-owned by both DeNA and The Pokémon Company. 

DeNA will own 66.6% of the resulting company, with the remaining 33.4% being owned by The Pokémon Company, itself co-owned by Creatures Inc, Game Freak, and Nintendo. 

Fans have expressed confusion at the new corporate structure, and wondered what it means for other Pokémon TCG games, which are handled by other developers.

The news comes after the release of another Pokémon Trading Card Game app, TCG Live, which is a more straightforward TCG simulator.

TCG Live replaced Pokémon TCG Online, which was first released in 2011 and was starting to show its age. 

The next main series Pokémon game, in development by Game Freak for the Pokémon Switch right now, isn’t set to be released until 2025. 

The game is called Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and will be set in the Kalos region, first seen in 2013’s Pokémon X and Y. 

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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk