Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket players will still have access to the game's first set of cards even after future booster packs are released. Recently, Pokémon TCG Pocket confirmed that it planned to release "new booster packs" of cards prior to the end of the year. Datamines indicated that this new set would be smaller than the Genetic Apex set that launched the game.

However, there was some worry that Pokémon TCG Pocket would start phasing out the Genetic Apex booster packs or somehow make them unavailable to players. The Japanese Pokémon TCG Pocket X recently confirmed that it would not pull Genetic Apex packs from the store after new booster packs come out.

"Are you all enjoying opening packs every day?" the X post reads, as shown in a translated Reddit post. "Even after the next expansion pack is released, you can still open "Genetic Apex," so enjoy opening it at your own pace!" This means that players shouldn't have to rush to try to find their chase cards ahead of the new expansion's release.

What We Know About Pokémon TCG Pocket's Next Set Of Cards

Pokémon TCG Pocket Will Release New Cards In December

Datamines indicate the next Pokémon TCG Pocket set is a smaller set meant to bridge the gap between "major" expansions like Genetic Apex. While it's not known how many cards this will contain, the datamine indicates it will release on December 16, 2024, providing a year-end burst of new cards. Following the release of this pack, a full expansion will be released at the end of January 2025. Assuming this cadence of releases hold, Pocket will release four "main" expansions per calendar year along with four "mini-expansions." However, this is based on datamines and wasn't confirmed by any official .

To help keep players busy in between releases, Pokémon TCG Pocket is also releasing a steady stream of events. After the current Mass Outbreak event ends, Pokémon TCG Pocket will launch a event featuring Venusaur. Both of these events will feature promo cards as prizes, including a new alternate art version of Venusaur. Those events are slated to begin on December 6.

Our Take: Keeping Genetic Apex Available Is Good For Pokémon TCG Pocket

Pokémon TCG Pocket Can Only Grow If Cards Remain Available

Pokémon TCG Pocket has to balance leveraging FOMO to keep players logging in on a daily basis without making it feel exploitative. By keeping Genetic Apex available for a lengthy period of time, Pokémon TCG Pocket can make sure that new players feel like they didn't miss out by not hopping into the game on Day 1 and keep current players from feeling like they have to dump a ton of money into the game.

It's estimated that it would take 1,700 packs to collect every Genetic Apex cards, which would take about a year and a half if players opened three packs a day. Wonder Picks and trading should help cut those numbers down, but it's clear that Pokémon TCG Pocket shouldn't cut off access to any of its cards anytime soon.

Source: Pokémon TCGP_JP/X, Reddit