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Pokémon Trading Card Game Online: Difference between revisions

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| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Bounsweet|18}}, {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Steenee|19}}, {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Tsareena|20}}
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Bounsweet|18}}, {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Steenee|19}}, {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Tsareena|20}}
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Professor Kukui|148}}
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Professor Kukui|148}}
|- style="color: black;"
| style="background: #FFF; {{roundytl|5px}}; {{roundybl|5px}}; text-align: center;" | {{TCG|Dragon}} {{ene|Dragon}}
| style="background: #FFF; {{roundytl|5px}}; {{roundybl|5px}}; text-align: center;" | May 15, 2018 to June 5, 2018
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | {{TCG|Boundaries Crossed}}
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | Nothing ''(Replaced with an additional "[[#Trainer Tokens|Trainer Token]] x75" reward)''
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | Nothing ''(Replaced with an additional "[[#Tournament Chests|Uncommon Chest]] x2" reward)''
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | [[Latias-EX (Plasma Freeze 85)|Latias]]{{EX}} (x2)
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | Nothing ''(Replaced with an additional "{{TCG|Boundaries Crossed}} booster x2" reward)''
| style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | {{TCG ID|Boundaries Crossed|Skyla|149}}
|}
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Revision as of 23:29, 3 June 2018

Pokémon Trading Card Game Online
TCGOlogo.png
Logo of Pokémon Trading Card Game Online
Basic info
Platform: PC, Mac, iPad, and Android tablets
Category: Strategy
Players: 1-2, with unlimited in chat
Connectivity: Internet
Developer: Electrified Games, Sleepy Giant Entertainment, Plexipixel, Inversoft
Publisher: The Pokémon Company International
Part of: Generations IV-VII misc
Ratings
CERO: N/A
ESRB: E
ACB: PG
OFLC: G
PEGI: 7
GRAC: N/A
GSRR: N/A
Release dates
Japan: N/A
North America: March 24, 2011
(TC beta)
Australia: March 24, 2011
(TC beta)
Europe: March 24, 2011
(TC beta)
South Korea: N/A
Hong Kong: N/A
Taiwan: N/A
Websites
Japanese: N/A
English: Game site
Pokémon TCGO site icon

Pokémon Trading Card Game Online (also referred to as Pokémon TCG Online or TCGO) is a downloadable game and the first Pokémon game of the MMOTCG (massively-multiplayer online trading card game) genre. It is based on the Pokémon Trading Card Game or TCG aspect of the Pokémon franchise and follows the same rules. The game was originally released as a browser-based game in March 2011 before being relaunched as a downloadable game in 2012 for the PC and Mac, iPad in 2014, and Android tablets in 2016. It officially emerged from open beta testing in February 2015 but continues to be refined and improved upon on a continual basis. The game is free to download and is accessible to both beginners and experienced players. It is also intended to be used by both adults and children. Players do not need to purchase physical Theme decks or Booster packs from a store in order to play. Players are provided with everything they need, and there are multiple means of earning new cards and other rewards as the game is played.

Guided story

So as to not overwhelm new players of all age levels with the complexity of the full game and in order to assist less experienced players in learning basic game mechanics, all players are initially directed through a set of in-game Tutorials and then the beginning set of Matches in the Trainer Challenge before all game features are accessible.

Upon logging into the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, players start their adventure at a virtual "Game Store", where Trainers Zach and Ella welcome them. Players begin by playing through two in-game Tutorials with a simplified Basic Blue Starter Theme deck and its Water Water and Colorless Colorless Pokémon against Zach and Ella before slowly unlocking a Basic Yellow Starter Theme deck and its Lightning Lightning and Colorless Colorless Pokémon against five additional computer-controlled Trainers. These seven Trainers uses a variety of different Deck and Pokémon types and often use Pokémon cards with attacks that apply Special Conditions, thus introducing players to a variety of basic game mechanics. Advancement through the in-game Tutorials does not require players to win a given match.

Next, players compete against another set of computer-controlled Trainer characters from the Trainer Challenge. Players are provided with four Starter Theme decks, each representing one of four Starter Pokémon types — Fire Fire, Grass Grass, Lightning Lightning, and Water Water. Player proceed sequentially through the Trainer Challenge as they win matches in three in-game "Leagues". The full set of features in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is not unlocked until players have won a match against the first several Trainers in the Gold League. Once the full feature set is unlocked, the Trainer Challenge may be pursued at the player's own pace or bypassed entirely.

Bypass training

Players already familiar with the game may bypass this directed training phase by disabling the "New User Experience" under Options.

Rotation chart

Many in-game Pokémon Trading Card Game Online features rotate or change on a recurring basis:

Game Feature Rotation
Daily login bonus to either Pokémon.com or the TCGO (12 Trainer Tokens) — inclusive of but independent from the TCGO Daily, 12:00 AM UTC
Daily Match Bonus (10 Trainer Tokens) Daily, 12:00 AM UTC
Daily Login Bonus reward system rotation Daily, 12:00 AM UTC
Daily Challenge reward system rotation Daily, 10:00 AM UTC
Weekly Tournament rotation Monday, 7:00 PM UTC
Weekly Shop rotation Wednesday, 12:00 AM UTC
Weekly Pokémon.com website ONLY 15 Trainer Token maximum per week — independent from the TCGO but relevant for Trainer Token acquisition purposes Saturday, 4:00 AM UTC

Play modes

There are five primary Play modes available. These are Trainer Challenge, Versus Mode, Tournament Mode, Tutorial Mode, and Quick Match. Additionally, Friend Battle and Play Testing are available under Friends in the Social menu and the Deck Manager respectively.

Trainer Challenge

In the Trainer Challenge, players face various computer-controlled Trainer characters using only Theme decks, including Online-exclusive Theme decks featuring Starter Pokémon Tepig and Fire-type Pokémon Fire, Snivy and Grass-type Pokémon Grass, and Oshawott and Water-type Pokémon Water from the Black & White Series (BW Basic Red, BW Basic Green, and BW Basic Blue) and the XY Basic Yellow featuring Pikachu and Lightning type Pokémon Lightning, unlocked in Tutorial Mode, from the X & Y Series. Players may also use Theme decks unlocked by Redemption codes from code cards found inside appropriately marked, physical Theme decks as well as those purchased virtually with Trainer Tokens or Gems from the in-game Shop. Code cards are obtainable from the Black & White Series onward.

List of the Trainer characters:
Zach Ella Game Store Professor
Ali Brittney Calvin Cammie
Daniel Grayson Juji Kendall
Logan Mick Nathan Otis
Penelope Rika Tyson

Players battle in three "Leagues": Gold League, Platinum League, and City Championship. Players have the option of adjusting the match difficulty between: "Easy", "Medium", and "Hard" (see Earning stars). Changing the difficulty setting changes the composition of the opponent's deck. Players must defeat a given Trainer in a specific spot or position once before unlocking the next Trainer position. Players must also defeat a given league once before unlocking the next, starting with Gold League and ending with City Championship. Unlike more traditional Pokémon Trading Card Game Tournaments such as the multi-player Tournament Mode, defeat on the part of players in these Trainer Challenge leagues does not result in players changing their standing. In other words, players may pickup right where they left off rather than start all over again.

Winning matches in the Trainer Challenge earn players Trainer Challenge Points that apply toward each Trainer in a unique league position. Trainer Challenge Points then Earns 1 to 4 stars with 1, 3, or 10 Trainer Token or Booster pack awards.

There are also 12 circles at the bottom of the "Select A Trainer" screen for a Trainer Challenge match, which correspond to each of the 12 Trainers in that league. By clicking on the corresponding circle, players may quickly select that Trainer in that specific spot or position. Some Trainers appear more than once in a league. Some do not appear at all. A padlocked circle means that the corresponding Trainer has not yet been unlocked. An open grey circle indicates that the Trainer has been unlocked but has not been beaten with any of the player's Theme decks. A dark green check mark over a grey circle means that the Trainer has not yet been defeated with the player selected Theme deck. A light green check mark indicates that the Trainer has already been defeated with the player selected Theme deck. Each Theme deck has its own set of dark green and light green check marks for each Trainer position in each league.

Unlocking decks

Players must defeat 7 Trainers with the same Starter Theme deck (except for the XY Basic Yellow Theme deck) to fully unlock all the cards in that deck. Two cards are replaced automatically with each Trainer beaten. Beating the same Trainer in a different position in a league or in a different leagues counts toward the 7 successes. Beating a Trainer in the same position in a league more than once does not count toward the 7 successes.

  • NOTE: The XY Basic Yellow Theme deck is unlocked in Tutorial Mode.
  • NOTE: The October 2, 2013 update retired a feature that also gradually unlocked redeemable or purchased Theme decks over the course of 11 successful wins as described above. All redeemed or purchased Theme decks are now fully "unlocked" immediately upon redeeming or purchasing them in the in-game Shop.

Versus Mode

Players take on other players in a Random Battle with one of four Play types or Deck formats (Theme, Standard, Expanded, or Unlimited) and a deck appropriate to the selected Play type.

Random Battle

The Random Battle feature allows players to play against another randomly selected online player. Players earn a single Trainer Token for each match played ("Expert Matchmaking Reward"), provided they have met minimum playtime requirements, plus 2 Trainer Tokens if they win a match versus a player who was ranked by the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online as having an "Advantage" based on player/deck play history ("Game Advantage Upset Reward"). Additionally, players are given the chance to spin the Bonus Wheel, which provides an opportunity to receive Trainer Tokens, Event Tickets, or a Mystery Box reward. Trainer Tokens and the Bonus Wheel are provided to both players regardless of the outcome of the match. This feature was formally an option under Ranked Battle and Opponent Types.

Winning a match also earns players Versus Points, which advance players along a Versus Ladder reward system.

Play types

Players select from four Play types, also known Game type or Deck format:

Theme
Only preconstructed Theme decks are allowed in this play type. Apart from the Starter themed Online-exclusive Theme decks, Theme decks are obtained by either using Redemption codes or by purchase with Trainer Tokens or Gems in the in-game Shop.
Standard
Only decks composed entirely of cards from expansions or sets officially sanctioned for Play! Pokémon events for the Standard format are allowed in this play type. The list of allowed expansions is updated with a game patch shortly after as the official, annual Rotation is announced. Expansions are added to the Standard format as they are released (typically four a year), and the oldest legal expansions are rotated out of the Standard format on an annual basis. The Standard format was previously called the Modified format.
Expanded
Only decks composed entirely of cards from expansions or sets officially sanctioned for Play! Pokémon events for the Expanded format are allowed in this play type. This format was added in the 2014-2015 season to allow a greater number of expansions than the Standard format but not be as unpredictable in card combinations as the Unlimited format. The list of allowed expansions is updated with a game patch shortly after as the official, annual Rotation is announced. Expansions are added to the Expanded format as they are released.
Unlimited
Any deck composed of cards currently available in the game are allowed in this play type (including Expanded format decks, Standard format decks, and Theme decks). Currently, only HeartGold & SoulSilver, Black & White, and XY sets and their expansion are available in the game. This format was retired from the VS Ladder on March 30th, 2016
Legacy
Only decks composed of cards from HeartGold & SoulSilver and Black & White expansions can be played in this format. This format was added as a way to allow players to use HeartGold & SoulSilver cards without having to face "broken" decks such as the "Shiftry Giant Fan Donk".

Events Mode

Entry into Events, formerly referred to as "Tournaments" versus other players require either Event Tickets or Trainer Tokens. Players may use any of the four available deck formats (Theme, Standard, Expanded, or Legacy), though not all Deck formats are always available. Playing in events with other players provides the opportunity to gain Trainer Tokens or additional Event Tickets with a spin on the Bonus Wheel at the end of each match, win or lose, as well as the opportunity to earn Trainer Tokens, Event Tickets, Booster packs, and Uncommon Chests based on player placement in a given event.

Each 8-man event is composed of three-round single elimination matches between 8 players. Upon selecting a Deck format with either an Event Ticket or Trainer Token entry requirement, players are placed into a queue until 8 players join. Once that queue is full, the event will begin and a new queue will be created. The maximum duration of an event is 1 hour and 17 minutes with up to 25 minutes minutes per match (12 and ½ minutes per player) and one minute between rounds.

Event rotation

Continuously running events currently offer four Deck formats: three require a Event Ticket entry fee and one a Trainer Token entry fee. The exact Deck formats and entry fee varies on a weekly basis on Mondays at 7:00 PM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time).[1] As of August 2016, the Event Ticket entry fee is generally 8 Event Tickets (with a special weekend event for 24 Event Tickets sometimes offered) while the Trainer Token events cost 89 Trainer Tokens to enter.

Special events

The first non-trial Tournament special event officially premiered on February 5, 2015 as a weeklong tournament in which players battled in all four Deck formats for special themed rewards based on Team Magma and Team Aqua from the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire video games. Other special events occur from time to time.

Event rewards

Entry costs and rewards vary widely for special events. Continuously running event entry costs and rewards are standardized:

Trainer Tokens Event Tickets

Entry Cost: 89 Trainer Tokens
Used to require only 49 Trainer Tokens.

Rewards:

Entry Cost: 4 Event Tickets

Rewards:

Entry Cost: 6 Event Tickets
Was only available on weekends prior to the start of 8-ticket events.

Rewards:

Entry Cost: 8 Event Tickets

Rewards:

Entry Cost: 8 Event Tickets (weekend)
Only available briefly when a new expansion is released.

Rewards:

Entry Cost: 24 Event Tickets
Only available on weekends.

Tutorial Mode

Main article: Tutorial (TCGO)

After being welcomed to the "Game Store", players face Zach and Ella in two Tutorial Pokémon Trading Card Game matches designed to teach players the basics of game play. Players advance regardless of whether they win or loose a match. If players "Play as a Guest" and complete the initial two Tutorials, they will be presented with a full match against a random computer-controlled Trainer from the Trainer Challenge. Players may repeat but will not advance beyond this random battle stage. Players will, however, be encouraged to create a Pokémon Trainer Club "User Name" and "Password" after each of these matches.

Pokémon Trainer Club
Players who create a Pokémon Trainer Club account also may use this account on the official Pokémon.com website and at Play! Pokémon events.

After logging into the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online with a Pokémon Trainer Club account, players advance directly from the second Tutorial to five additional Tutorials. These final set are more like traditional matches rather the first two Tutorials. Instead, of computer-controlled Trainers discussing specific game mechanics, these Tutorials use abbreviated matches to introduce players to Special Conditions imposed by attacks and introduce players to different Deck types and builds. In these final five matches, players are also presented with and slowly unlock a XY Basic Yellow Theme deck. By the end of the seventh match, players will gain full access to this XY Basic Yellow deck.

Tutorial Ladder:
Tutorial #: Reward:
Tutorial #1 25 Trainer Tokens.
Tutorial #2 25 Trainer Tokens.
Tutorial #3 25 Trainer Tokens.
Tutorial #4 50 Trainer Tokens.
Tutorial #5 50 Trainer Tokens.
Tutorial #6 75 Trainer Tokens.
Tutorial #7 one non-tradable, 10-card Booster pack.

Tutorial Ladder

At the bottom of the main Tutorial screen, players find seven steps or ladder rungs on a Tutorial Ladder represented by seven Trainers images and connected to one of seven unique Tutorials. When an individual Tutorial is completed, a green "check mark" is placed over the Tutorial Ladder image and the background turns from light blue to dark blue. Completing an individual Tutorial on the Tutorial Ladder earns players 25 to 75 Trainer Tokens (250 Trainer Tokens total) or a non-tradable, 10-card Booster pack. Players are welcome to replay a given Tutorial by selecting it on the Tutorial Ladder; however, the rewards may only be earned once.

Additional tutorials

For those seeking Additional tutorials outside of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online itself, a brief description of How to play appears on the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) page. The Appendix:Glossary also defines most TCG terminology and game mechanics. Players may also browse Bulbapedia related TCG articles at Category:Pokémon Trading Card Game. Bulbagarden additionally hosts forums to discuss the TCG at the Pokémon TCG and Collectibles forum. Finally, there are browser-based step-by-step TCG tutorials on Pokémon.com.

Quick Match

Quick Match is a single player mode using a randomly selected Theme deck that players have unlocked. Players battle against another randomly selected player. The match does not count toward Player rank, earn Trainer Tokens, or a Bonus Wheel spin.

Friend Battle

Friend Battle is located under the Friends section of the Social menu by selecting the head silhouette next to a friend who is currently logged into the game. This mode allows players to play against another player who is on their Friends List. This mode does not count toward Player rank or earn Trainer Tokens and a Bonus Wheel spin.

Play Testing

Play Testing is located under the Deck Manager. This mode allows players to practice using their chosen deck against a random computer-controlled Trainer from the Trainer Challenge and does not count toward Player rank nor earn Trainer Tokens or a Bonus Wheel spin.

Collection viewer

Collection viewer button (three cards). The Collection viewer shows cards, unopened Booster packs and Non-exclusive Theme decks, and Avatar and Gameplay items in a player's collection as well as items players tag "For Trade", "Wanted", or "For Review".

Trade Locked cards

Most cards available in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online are "Trade Locked", meaning that they may not be Traded with other players. This limitation is designed to discourage "card farming" — players creating extra accounts solely to expand their card collection through card trading (including trades with the player's primary account). Only cards redeemed with Redemption codes found with the purchase of physical Non-exclusive Theme decks, Booster packs, and similar collections, gained through Booster packs earned in Tournament Mode are "Tradable". Two symbols at the bottom of each card in the Collection viewer represent how many Tradable or Trade Locked cards players have in their collection. The left number with a blue background represents tradable cards, while the right number next to the padlock symbol with the grey background represents Trade Locked cards.

Until the Steam Siege update on August 2, booster packs and individual cards earned through the Victor's Bonus Wheel were also tradeable. With this update, such cards and packs can no longer be traded.

Currency

There are three currencies available in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. These are Trainer Tokens, Event Tickets, and Gems. Only Trainer Tokens and Event Tickets are currently obtainable worldwide.

Trainer Tokens

Main article: Trainer Token

Trainer Tokens may be used to redeem non-tradable, 10-card Booster packs (200 Trainer Tokens) from current expansions of the game and Non-exclusive Theme decks (500 Trainer Tokens) also from current expansions, as well as Avatar and Gameplay items. They are obtained through various means, including Daily Challenges, Trainer Challenges, Tutorial Ladder, Versus Ladder, Random Battle matches in the Versus Mode and Tournament Mode, and the Bonus Wheel.

Trainer Tokens are also obtained by playing various browser-based games, earning Stamps, and reading articles on Pokémon.com. They may also be spent on various items for a player's Pokémon.com Trainer Avatar. This is similar to but distinct from the Pokémon TCG Online Avatar within the game itself.

  • NOTE: 5-card Booster packs are unique to the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. They contain at least 3 Common (Common), 1 Uncommon (Uncommon), and the chance for 1 Rare (Rare) cards from a given expansion. Most Booster packs typically contain 10 cards and have a higher percentage of common cards in them, including those received as rewards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online and redeemed with Redemption codes in the in-game Shop.


  • NOTE: 5-card Booster packs were discontinued with the update to client version 2.34. All trade-locked 5-card Booster packs were converted to 10-card Booster packs. 5-card booster packs bought with Gems are still in the game, but are unobtainable by any means, making Theme a desirable collector's item.
Event Tickets:
  • 9.99 USD for 10 Event Tickets
  • 24.99 USD for 25 Event Tickets
  • 49.99 USD for 50 Event Tickets
  • 99.99 USD for 100 Event Tickets

Event Tickets

Event Tickets are currently available as Daily Login Bonus rewards, as rewards on the Versus Ladder, or by spinning the Bonus Wheel. They are used to gain access to tournaments in Tournament Mode by redeeming a certain amount of tickets needed to enter a given tournament.

Additionally, Event Tickets my be purchased by clicking on the Ticket icon on upper right side of Game menu found on most screens or by going directly to www.pokemontcg.com/us/purchase.

Gems

Gems are currently only available to adult players in Canada for testing and are purchased from the in-game Shop. Similar to Trainer Tokens, Gems may be used to purchase Booster packs, Non-exclusive Theme decks, Avatar items, and Gameplay items in the in-game Shop or used as a currency for trading with other players.

  • NOTE: A Gem is typically equal to 2 Trainer Tokens.

Deck Manager

Deck Manager button (open deck box). The Deck Manager allows the players to view, clone, edit or create decks using obtained cards and items. Decks may be created in either the Standard, Expanded or Unlimited format Play types. Selecting a Standard format or Expanded format filters out cards not sanctioned for official Pokémon Trading Card Game events. After selecting a set of 60 cards, a Deck box, Coin, and Card sleeve Gameplay item may also be selected. While the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online presents an option to select a Playmat, only the default Playmat is available at this time. These Gameplay items may be obtained by Redemption codes from code cards or event codes in the in-game Shop or purchased with Trainer Tokens or Gems.

Redeem codes

Redeem codes button (gift box w/ bow). Redemption codes are unique codes that allow players to unlock Theme decks, Booster packs and more. They are only found on specially marked packs and decks. "Contains 1 code card" is found on the back of Booster packs which contain a Redemption code card. Only Theme decks that are clearly marked "Play This Deck Online" will contain Redemption codes. These unique Redemption codes can only be used once. For a full list of redeemable decks, please see List of Pokémon Trading Card Game Online decks

As a general rule:

  • All standard sixty card Theme decks will unlock their respective cards, as well as a coin. All of these cards are not Trade Locked cards and can be used in any way desired.
  • Elite trainer boxes unlock Gameplay items including a deckbox and sleeves. Most will unlock no cards (though the booster packs included in the physical boxes will still have their own cards.) These items can be traded as well.
  • If an online code card is included, multipack boxes such as the Charizard-EX Box and tins will unlock rewards ranging from a single card to a full 60 card deck.

The following include an online code card from the XY series and are not Trade Locked cards:


In addition, there are generic Redemption codes which may be used by all Pokémon TGCO players. The following are confirmed codes which unlock Theme decks, Booster packs, and Avatar items (all of which are non-tradable):

Reward systems

These multiple and overlapping Reward systems built into the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online allow players to be rewarded for using the game based on their current area of interest rather than playing to any one specific Reward system. Players do not need to specifically focus on progressing within a specific Reward system track, but should instead feel free to play in the type of online Pokémon Trading Card Game matches they want and be rewarded for doing so. The eight primary Reward systems include: Bonus Wheel, Daily Challenge, Daily Login Bonus, Daily Match Bonus, Game play rewards, Mystery Box, Special Challenges, Tournament Chests, and Versus Ladder. Additional game play reward systems are built into each of the four primary modes of game play: Trainers Challenge, Versus Mode, Tournament Mode, and Tutorial Mode.

Bonus Wheel

The Bonus Wheel provides an opportunity to receive special bonus rewards such as Trainer Tokens, Event Tickets, or a Mystery Box. Spins on the Bonus Wheel are earned through participation in a Random Battle in Versus Mode or a tournament match in Tournament Mode against another player.

There are two Bonus Wheels: a Victor’s Bonus Wheel and a Basic Bonus Wheel. The Victor’s Bonus Wheel includes greater Trainer Token amounts, an opportunity to receive Event Tickets, and a high value Mystery Box.

Daily Challenge

The Daily Challenge rewards players for playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online on a daily basis. Players are presented with specific game related challenges starting at 9:00 AM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time) each day.[2] Players may ONLY accept a single challenge during a single day. The challenge does not need to be completed before the end of a given day. However, players will not be offered a new challenge until they finish their current challenge or "Abandon" it, except as a new day's challenge may be worked on simultaneously as players advance in Player level. The first four challenges cannot be abandoned. If players complete their current challenge and a new day has already started, players will be offered that new day's challenge. If more than one day passes before players complete their current challenge, only the current new day's challenge will be presented. The challenge backlog or queue is never greater than one day at a time.

  • NOTE: Players can only choose ONE CHALLENGE PER DAY. At higher Player levels, players have the opportunity to choice between two and eventually three options each day. However, they can only choose ONE of them. All additional challenges that players do not select are LOST. While players may choose another challenge on the following day and may also store up to two or three old challenges at higher Player levels, players can never pick up more than one new challenge each day.

As players successfully complete challenges, they earn Trainer Tokens and random Booster packs. Each Daily Challenge has an Pokémon type associated with it as well as an Experience Point (or XP) value, which are applied to that given Pokémon type. Each Pokémon type starts at Level 0 (zero) and increases to Level 3, unlocking special Pokémon type themed Coins (Level 1), Card sleeves (Level 2), and Deck boxes (Level 3). It takes a total of 5 XP for players to reach Level 1 in a given Pokémon type and then 5 more XP for Level 2. Pokémon type Level 3 requires 10 additional XP. If more XP is earned then required to reach the next level, it rolls over. However, at present, no XP will be applied after players reach Level 3 in a given Pokémon type. Active Challenges/Level Progress in the Player Profile will not read more than "20/20".

Earning a Pokémon type level also increases overall Player level by one. Players starts at Player level 0 (zero). Increasing Player level eventually allows players to save and pursue up to three Daily Challenges at one time.

  • NOTE: "Player level" should not be confused with "Player rank", by which Pokémon Trading Card Game Online tracks player skill level when matching players for Random Battles matches and for indicating player "Advantage" in both Random Battle and Tournament matches

View/Abandon challenge

A popup window introduces the Daily Challenge to players following their logging into the game. Afterward, "Active Challenge" and "Level Progress" may be viewed in the center icon/tab under Player Profile. Selecting an active challenge will display a small trash can icon. Selecting the trash can icon allows players to "Abandon" that challenge. "Abandoning" a challenge will cause all progress to be lost.

  • NOTE: The first four Daily Challenges may not be abandoned. Players must complete these first four challenges before additional, random challenges are presented.

By hovering over a given Pokémon type with the mouse pointer (or iPad equivalent), a small indicator will show players how much XP they have earned to date for the next Pokémon type level and how much total XP is needed to reach that level. Players must hover over the progress bar itself on a Daily Challenge in order for a similar indicator to appear detailing challenge progress.

Challenge list

The very first four challenges are presented in order and cannot be abandoned or bypassed. After these first four challenges are completed and continuing through Player level 5, challenges are selected randomly from a set of three challenge types based on four Pokémon types (Fire Fire, Grass Grass, Psychic Psychic, and Water Water). These initial Pokémon types correspond to the Pokémon found in the three Starter Theme decks unlocked in the Trainer Challenge plus the Daily Login Bonus Theme deck, Mental Might. Players may use these four Theme decks or any other deck that qualifies for the challenge criteria. Player level 6 challenges represent a blending of the initial set of random challenges and the second set of random challenges. The second set of random challenges are based on all Pokémon types (except for Colorless Colorless) and becomes the default set at Player level 7. Random challenges haves a Rarity frequency that defines how often players should expect to be presented with a particular type of challenge: Common (Common), Uncommon (Uncommon), and Rare (Rare). The less common the challenge, the better the rewards. Booster packs awarded with the completion of Rare (Rare) challenges may be either 5-card or 10-card Booster packs, with 10-card Booster packs becoming more typical as players increase their Player level. Challenges known to be presented so far include:

Challenge Name: First Four Challenges: Game mode: Reward: XP: Sequence:

Driving In

Any 25 Trainer Tokens 2 Water Challenge #1

Burning Attack

Any 25 Trainer Tokens 2 Fire Challenge #2

...

Any 25 Trainer Tokens 2 Grass Challenge #3

Mighty Mind

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5-card Booster pack 2 Psychic Challenge #4
Challenge Name: Challenges appearing randomly during Player levels 0 to 5 with the following rarity frequency: Game mode: Reward: XP: Rarity:

Combustion

Any 25 Trainer Tokens 1 Fire Common Common

Seeds of Destruction

Any 25 Trainer Tokens 1 Grass Common Common

Little Splash

Any 25 Trainer Tokens 1 Water Common Common

Mind Games

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		25 Trainer Tokens 1 Psychic Common Common

Smouldering

Any 50 Trainer Tokens 2 Fire Uncommon Uncommon

Planting Seeds

Any 50 Trainer Tokens 2 Grass Uncommon Uncommon

Narrow Stream

Any 50 Trainer Tokens 2 Water Uncommon Uncommon

Psy Awakening

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		50 Trainer Tokens 2 Psychic Uncommon Uncommon

Embers

Any 5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fire Rare Rare

Splinter

Any 5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Grass Rare Rare

Undertow

Any 5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Water Rare Rare

Brain Drain

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Psychic Rare Rare
Player level 6 challenges are a mixture of the above and below sets.
Challenge Name: Challenges appearing randomly during Player levels 7 to 15 with the following rarity frequency: Game mode: Reward: XP: Rarity:

Shadow Strike

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Darkness Common Common

Sharp Claws

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Dragon Common Common

Pixie Punch

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Fairy Common Common

Roundhouse Kick

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Fighting Common Common

Incineration

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Fire Common Common

Dangerous Spores

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Grass Common Common

Powerful Jolt

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Lightning Common Common

Iron Crash

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Metal Common Common

Bad Dreams

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Psychic Common Common

Tidal Wave

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		30 Trainer Tokens 1 Water Common Common

Total Eclipse

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Darkness Uncommon Uncommon

Learning to Fly

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Dragon Uncommon Uncommon

Dazzling Sparkle

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Fairy Uncommon Uncommon

Training Hard

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Fighting Uncommon Uncommon

Burning Bright

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Fire Uncommon Uncommon

Taking Root

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Grass Uncommon Uncommon

High Voltage

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Lightning Uncommon Uncommon

Reinforcing

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Metal Uncommon Uncommon

Phantom Power

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Psychic Uncommon Uncommon

Rising Tides

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		55 Trainer Tokens 2 Water Uncommon Uncommon

Shroud of Pain

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Darkness Rare Rare

Dragon Blast

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Dragon Rare Rare

Dazzling Power

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fairy Rare Rare

Rock Slide

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fighting Rare Rare

Wildfire

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fire Rare Rare

Forest Flurry

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Grass Rare Rare

Turbo Laser

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Lightning Rare Rare

Sharp Strike

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Metal Rare Rare

Terror Strike

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Psychic Rare Rare

Whirlpool

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Water Rare Rare
Challenge Name: Challenges appearing randomly during Player levels 16 to 30 with the following rarity frequency: Game mode: Reward: XP: Rarity:

Total Darkness

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Darkness Common Common

Sonic Power

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Dragon Common Common

Sweet Disaster

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Fairy Common Common

Flying Fists

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Fighting Common Common

Fire Storm

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Fire Common Common

Nature's Wrath

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Grass Common Common

Lightning Storm

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Lightning Common Common

Cut Down

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Metal Common Common

Nightmare

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Psychic Common Common

Hurricane

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		35 Trainer Tokens 1 Water Common Common

Eternal Night

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Darkness Uncommon Uncommon

Dragon's Roar

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Dragon Uncommon Uncommon

Brilliant Light

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Fairy Uncommon Uncommon

Powered Up

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Fighting Uncommon Uncommon

Blazing Hot

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Fire Uncommon Uncommon

Growing Strong

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Grass Uncommon Uncommon

Turbocharged

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Lightning Uncommon Uncommon

Gleaming Steel

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Metal Uncommon Uncommon

Superior Mind

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Psychic Uncommon Uncommon

Raging River

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		60 Trainer Tokens 2 Water Uncommon Uncommon

Fade to Black

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Darkness Rare Rare

Dragon Rage

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Dragon Rare Rare

Rainbow Power

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fairy Rare Rare

Earthquake

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fighting Rare Rare

Inferno

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fire Rare Rare

Chocking Vines

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Grass Rare Rare

Lightning Blast

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Lightning Rare Rare

Slice and Dice

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Metal Rare Rare

Psychic Assault

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Psychic Rare Rare

Powerful Flood

Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Water Rare Rare
Challenge Name: Challenges temporarily removed with the June 2, 2015 update: Game mode: Reward: XP: Rarity:

...

  • Leave 20 opposing Pokémon Asleep
— The conditions may be applied by any card.
 Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Water Rare Rare

...

  • Leave 24 opposing Pokémon Burned.
— The conditions may be applied by any card.
 Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Fire Rare Rare

...

— The conditions may be applied by any card.
 Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Psychic Rare Rare

...

— The conditions may be applied by any card.
 Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Lightning Rare Rare

...

— The conditions may be applied by any card.
 Random Battle or
Tournament Mode 		5 or 10-card Booster pack 3 Grass Rare Rare

Daily Login Bonus

The Daily Login Bonus provides a reward for playing Pokémon Trading Card Game Online on a daily basis simply by logging into the game. It consists of an initial track designed to help new players get started in the game, and a track that provides recurring rewards to existing players. Each reward unlocks the first time players login each day starting at 12:00 AM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time). This reward system does not require players to login on consecutive days to maintain progress on the track. Once players complete the introductory New Player track, they are migrated to the recurring Existing Player track. There is no limit to the number of times players may complete the Existing Player track, as they are cycled back to the beginning of the track after receiving the bonus reward for the fifth day.

New Player Track
Existing Player Track
  • Day 1 - 5 Trainer Tokens (Prior to the June 2, 2015 update, Day 1 awarded 15 Trainer Tokens.)
  • Day 2 - 10 Trainer Tokens (Prior to the June 2, 2015 update, Day 2 awarded 15 Trainer Tokens.)
  • Day 3 - 15 Trainer Tokens (Prior to the June 2, 2015 update, Day 3 awarded 1 Event Ticket. Prior to the April 3, 2014 update, Day 3 awarded 15 Trainer Tokens.)
  • Day 4 - 1 Event Ticket (Prior to the June 2, 2015 update, Day 4 awarded 15 Trainer Tokens.)
  • Day 5 - 1 non-tradable, 10-card Booster pack (randomly selected from Standard format expansions)

This reward system was briefly retired with the March 25, 2015 update in favor of the new Daily Challenge reward system but was reintroduced on June 2, 2015 to allow players who are not interested in pursuing Daily Challenges to continue earning daily rewards.

NOTE: There is a separate Daily login bonus that may be received by logging into either Pokémon.com or TCGO each day starting at 12:00 AM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time), which earn players/website users 12 Trainer Tokens. This Daily Login bonus to independent of the TCGO reward system.

Daily Match Bonus

The Daily Match Bonus or "Daily PvP Game Reward" awards 10 Trainer Tokens for completing the first Random Battle match each day (12:00 AM UTC, Coordinated Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time), regardless of whether players win or lose and in addition to any other rewards. All player versus player match play time minimums apply.

Game play rewards

There are several reward systems built into the four primary Play modes: Trainer Challenge, Versus Mode, Tournament Mode, and Tutorial Mode.

Play Mode: Brief Description of Game Play Rewards:
Trainer Challenge Earning "Stars" after defeating computer-controlled Trainers in the Trainer Challenge earns 1, 3, or 10 Trainer Tokens and a 10-card Booster pack once for each of the 36 Trainer opponents. Players additionally obtain 3 more Booster packs by earning 4 Stars with all 12 Trainers in each of the three "Leagues". Finally, purchasable Non-exclusive Theme decks provide 1 Trainer Token after beating each of the 36 Trainers plus a 10-card Booster pack after beating the first 12 Trainers once per Theme deck.
Versus Mode A single Trainer Token and a Bonus Wheel spin are earned when a match is played regardless of who wins or loses in Versus Mode, provided minimum Minimum Playtime Requirements are met. Two additional Trainer Tokens are earned if players win again an opponent who the Player rank system determined to have the "Advantage". The Versus Ladder reward system is also integrated into Versus Mode as are all of Daily Challenges.
Tournament Mode Same as Versus Mode as summarized above (accept for the Versus Ladder). Additionally, players earn Tournament rewards based on Tournament type and Tournament placement. All Daily Challenges may also be completed in Tournament Mode.
Tutorial Mode Each of the seven Tutorial Mode Tutorials earn players 25 to 75 Trainer Tokens (250 Trainer Tokens total) or a 10-card Booster pack.

Mystery Box

Mystery Box rewards are earned on Bonus Wheel spins. Rewards include both static rewards (25 Trainer Token, 4 Event Tickets, a 5-card Booster pack from the current Standard format expansion or randomly selected from current Standard format expansions) or items that are updated weekly such as a single expansion or promo card or a Gameplay item such as Coin or Card sleeve. The February 4, 2015 update increased the rewards in a Victor’s Mystery Box to include 50 Trainer Tokens, a larger Event Ticket amount, tradable single cards, and tradable 10-card Booster packs.

Special Challenges

Special Challenges are like Daily Challenges except they take more time to complete. They also offer greater rewards. They are viewed or abandoned just like Daily Challenges. New Special Challenges often accompany a major update to the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Known Special Challenges include:

Special Challenge: Game mode: Time Limit: Reward: XP: Rarity:
Random Battle 5 days non-tradeable, 10-card Booster pack ×2 from the current expansion n/a Common Common
Random Battle 5 days non-tradeable, 10-card Booster pack ×2 from the current expansion 3 Dragon Common Common
Random Battle 5 days non-tradeable, 10-card Booster pack ×2 from the current expansion N/A Common Common
Random Battle 5 days non-tradeable, 10-card Booster pack ×2 from the current expansion N/A Common Common
Trainer Challenge 5 days 300 Tokens N/A Common Common
All modes 3 days 3 Event tickets N/A Common Common
Expanded Mode 9 days 2 Legendary Treasures packs N/A Common Common
Legacy Mode 9 days 2 Undaunted packs N/A Common Common
  • Win 10 Legacy matches.
 Legacy Mode 9 days 2 HeartGold & SoulSilver packs N/A Common Common
Random Battle 3 days 2 Call of Legends packs N/A Common Common
  • Collect 100 Prize Cards
 All modes 3 days 300 Tokens N/A Common Common
Random Battle 9 days 2 XY packs 3 Fairy Common Common
Random Battle 9 days 2 Flashfire packs 3 Fairy Common Common
Random Battle 9 days 2 Furious Fists packs 3 Dragon Common Common
All Modes 3 days 300 Tokens N/A Common Common
Trainer Challenge 3 days 300 Tokens N/A Common Common
  • Win 6 tournament matches.
 Tournament mode 3 1/2 days 1000 tokens N/A Common Common
Tournament mode 4 days 750 tokens 3 Fire Common Common
Random Battle 3 days 2 Fates Collide packs 3 Fighting Common Common
Random Battle 7 days 2 Black & White packs N/A Common Common
Random Battle 7 days 2 Emerging Powers packs 3 Water Common Common
Random Battle 7 days 2 Noble Victories packs 3 Water Common Common
  • Collect 60 Prize Cards
 All modes 3 days 300 Tokens N/A Common Common
  • Win 7 Expanded matches.
 Expanded Mode 9 days 2 Legendary Treasures packs N/A Common Common
  • Do 3000 damage in Expanded matches
 Expanded Mode 9 days 2 Boundaries Crossed packs N/A Common Common
  • Collect 42 Prize Cards in Expanded matches
 Expanded Mode 9 days 2 Phantom Forces packs N/A Common Common
All Modes 4 days 200 tokens N/A Common Common
All modes 4 days 2 Sun & Moon packs 3 Fighting Common Common
  • Win 10 Expanded matches.
 Expanded Mode 4 days 2 Plasma Blast packs N/A Common Common

Tournament Chests

Tournament Chests are earned at the end of Tournament Mode tournaments. The exact number of chests awarded, if any, depends on player placement in a tournament. Each Tournament Chest contains a random number of Trainer Tokens and a single card of Uncommon Uncommon Rarity or higher from a Standard format expansion.[3] This card is tradable if the Tournament Chest itself is tradable, but is not tradable if the tournament Chest is not. Only Tournament Chests from some tournaments are tradable.

They have been renamed to Uncommon Chest, with a new item, the Holo Treasure Chest, added which contains higher sums of trainer tokens and a card of "Holo Rarity or better" from a Standard format expansion.

Versus Ladder

The Versus Ladder provides an improving stage or ladder rung of rewards for players successfully winning matches in Versus Mode. Players earn 10 Versus Points for every match they win and an additional 5 Versus Points when they win against an opponent with the "Advantage", as well as additional Versus Points equal to their current win streak times five (up to a maximum of twenty). Players have 3 weeks or 21 days to progress as far as they can up the Versus Ladder before the ladder is reset. Player rewards include Trainer Tokens, Tournament Chests, Event Tickets, Booster packs, groups of one to three Pokémon cards, groups of one to two high-rarity card (so far including Pokémon-EXs, Pokémon-GXs and Ace Spec cards), and a holofoil Trainer card.

When initially introduced, the booster packs being given in the ladder would always be from the most recent expansion at the time of the reset. However, since the ladder started on September 4, 2017, it's become possible for boosters to instead belong to an older expansion. So far, all awarded boosters have been from expansions that were legal for the Expanded Format at that point in time.

Ladder Stage: Versus Points: Reward:
Stage #1 10 Versus Points Trainer Token x25
Stage #2 30 Versus Points Uncommon Chest x1
Stage #3 50 Versus Points Pokémon card x2
Stage #4 70 Versus Points Trainer Token x50
Stage #5 100 Versus Points Event Ticket x1
Stage #6 130 Versus Points Pokémon card x2/3
Stage #7 170 Versus Points 10-card Booster pack x1
Stage #8 210 Versus Points Pokémon-EX card or Pokémon-GX card x1
Stage #9 270 Versus Points Uncommon Chest x4
Stage #10 330 Versus Points Trainer Token x100
Stage #11 410 Versus Points Pokémon card x2/3
Stage #12 490 Versus Points Event Ticket x5
Stage #13 590 Versus Points Trainer Token x225
Stage #14 690 Versus Points Pokémon-EX card, Pokémon-GX card or Ace Spec card x1
Stage #15 820 Versus Points Holo Treasure Chest x1
Stage #16 980 Versus Points 10-card Booster pack x3
Stage #17 1170 Versus Points Event Ticket x10
Stage #18 1400 Versus Points Trainer Token x600
Stage #19 1670 Versus Points 10-card Booster pack x5
Stage #20 2000 Versus Points Holofoil Trainer card x1

Cards Earned in Versus Ladder

The following table displays the cards that players may earn in the Versus Ladder.

Type: Days Available: Booster Expansion: First Evolution Line / Item Card: Second Evolution Line: EX/GX/Ace Spec Card: Third Evolution Line: Full Art Supporter Card:
Grass Grass July 14 to August 7, 2015 Roaring Skies Shelmet, Accelgor Caterpie, Metapod, Butterfree VenusaurEX (x2) Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry Pokémon Fan Club
Water Water August 7 to 28, 2015 Roaring Skies Barboach, Whiscash Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Politoed BlastoiseEX (x2) Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja Archie's Ace in the Hole
Fire Fire August 28 to September 18, 2015 Ancient Origins Ponyta, Rapidash Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame CharizardEX (x2) Fennekin, Braixen, Delphox Pokémon Center Lady
Darkness Darkness September 18 to October 9, 2015 Ancient Origins Pancham, Pangoro Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile YveltalEX (x2) Zorua, Zoroark Lysandre
Fairy Fairy October 9 to 30, 2015 Ancient Origins Clefairy, Clefable Spritzee, Aromatisse (non-holo) XerneasEX (x2) Flabébé, Floette, Florges Battle Reporter
Fighting Fighting October 30 to November 20, 2015 Ancient Origins Diglett, Dugtrio Timburr, Gurdurr, Conkeldurr LucarioEX (x2) Machop, Machoke, Machamp (non-holo) Korrina
Colorless Colorless November 20 to December 11, 2015 BREAKthrough Amaura, Aurorus Tyrunt, Tyrantrum KangaskhanEX (x2) Slakoth, Vigoroth, Slaking Fossil Researcher
Lightning Lightning December 11, 2015 to January 1, 2016 BREAKthrough Voltorb, Electrode Shinx, Luxio, Luxray ManectricEX (x2) Helioptile, Heliolisk (non-holo) Xerosic
Dragon Dragon January 1 to 22, 2016 BREAKthrough Shelmet, Accelgor Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon DragoniteEX (x2) Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon AZ
Metal Metal January 22 to February 12, 2016 BREAKthrough Pineco, Forretress Bronzor, Bronzong DialgaEX (x2) Honedge, Doublade, Aegislash (reverse holo) Professor Birch's Observations
Psychic Psychic February 12 to March 4, 2016 BREAKpoint Munna, Musharna Trubbish, Garbodor MewEX (x2) Duskull, Dusclops, Dusknoir Ghetsis
Grass Grass March 4 to 25, 2016 BREAKpoint Nincada, Ninjask Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff CelebiEX (x2) Snivy, Servine, Serperior N
Metal Metal March 25 to April 15, 2016 BREAKpoint Bronzor, Bronzong Aron, Lairon, Aggron JirachiEX (x2) Klink, Klang, Klinklang Bianca
Fairy Fairy April 15 to May 6, 2016 BREAKpoint Swirlix, Slurpuff Flabébé, Floette, Florges FlorgesEX (x2) Togepi, Togetic, Togekiss Teammates
Darkness Darkness May 6 to May 27, 2016 Fates Collide Minccino, Cinccino Eevee, Umbreon DarkraiEX (x2) Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon Cheren
Water Water May 27 to June 17, 2016 Fates Collide Manaphy Vanillite, Vanillish, Vanilluxe KyuremEX (x2) Oshawott, Dewott, Samurott Professor Juniper
Fighting Fighting June 17 to July 7, 2016 Fates Collide Mienfoo, Mienshao Meditite, Medicham GroudonEX (x2) Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior Maxie's Hidden Ball Trick
Grass Grass July 7 to July 28, 2016 Fates Collide Foongus, Amoonguss Sewaddle, Swadloon, Leavanny ShayminEX (x2) Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume (reverse holo) Skyla
Lightning Lightning July 28, 2016 to August 18, 2016 Fates Collide Electrike, Manectric Electabuzz, Electivire EmolgaEX (x2) Tynamo, Eelektrik, Eelektross Wally
Fire Fire August 18, 2016 to September 8, 2016 Steam Siege Eevee, Flareon Growlithe, Arcanine VictiniEX (x2) Tepig, Pignite, Emboar Iris
Colorless Colorless September 8 to September 29, 2016 Steam Siege Bidoof, Bibarel Swablu, Altaria RayquazaEX (x2) Porygon, Porygon2, Porygon-Z Winona
Water Water September 29 to October 20, 2016 Steam Siege Slowpoke, Slowbro Magikarp, Gyarados KeldeoEX (x2) Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise N
Psychic Psychic October 20 to November 10, 2016 Steam Siege Teammates (x2) Gothita, Gothorita, Gothitelle ToxicroakEX (x2) Duskull, Dusclops, Dusknoir Pokémon Fan Club
Grass Grass November 10 to December 1, 2016 Evolutions Petilil, Lilligant Foongus, Amoonguss GenesectEX (x2) Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur Ghetsis
Psychic Psychic December 1 to December 22, 2016 Evolutions Rare Candy (x2) Litwick, Lampent, Chandelure MeloettaEX (x2) Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir Lysandre
Fire Fire December 22, 2016 to January 12, 2017 Evolutions Eevee, Flareon Vulpix, Ninetales CameruptEX (x2) Torchic, Combusken, Blaziken Pokémon Center Lady
Fighting Fighting January 12 to February 3, 2017 Evolutions Phanpy, Donphan Plume Fossil, Archen, Archeops LandorusEX (x2) Machop, Machoke, Machamp Battle Reporter
Darkness Darkness February 3 to February 24, 2017 Sun & Moon Max Elixir (x2) Pancham, Pangoro DarkraiEX (x2) Zorua, Zoroark Brigette
Lightning Lightning February 24 to March 17, 2017 Sun & Moon Eevee, Jolteon Voltorb, Electrode ThundurusEX (x2) Pikachu, Raichu Colress
Dragon Dragon March 17, 2017 to April 7, 2017 Sun & Moon Puzzle of Time (x2) Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite LatiosEX (x2) Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon (reverse holo) Giovanni's Scheme
Psychic Psychic April 7, 2017 to May 1, 2017 Sun & Moon Ultra Ball (x2) Zubat, Golbat, Crobat HoopaEX (x2) Duskull, Dusclops, Dusknoir N
Dragon Dragon May 1 to May 22, 2017 Sun & Moon VS Seeker (x2) Goomy, Sliggoo, Goodra GiratinaEX (x2) Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon Professor Juniper
Water Water May 22 to June 12, 2017 Guardians Rising Trainers' Mail (x2) Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Politoed SeismitoadEX (x2) Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert Lysandre
Fighting Fighting June 12, 2017 to July 3, 2017 Guardians Rising Float Stone (x2) Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior ZygardeEX (x2) Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine Steven
Psychic Psychic July 3, 2017 to July 24, 2017 Guardians Rising Battle Compressor (x2) Nidoran♀, Nidorina, Nidoqueen AlakazamEX (x2) Litwick, Lampent, Chandelure Team Rocket's Handiwork
Fire Fire and Water Water July 24, 2017 to August 14, 2017 Guardians Rising Acro Bike (x2) Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame VolcanionEX (x2) Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon Teammates
Colorless Colorless August 14, 2017 to September 4, 2017 Burning Shadows Enhanced Hammer (x2) Doduo, Dodrio LugiaEX (x2) Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame Pokémon Ranger
Grass Grass September 4, 2017 to September 25, 2017 Plasma Freeze Exp. Share (x2) Roselia, Roserade VirizionEX (x2) Sewaddle, Swadloon, Leavanny Bianca
Water Water September 25, 2017 to October 16, 2017 Burning Shadows Level Ball (x2) Binacle, Barbaracle ManaphyEX (x2) Slowpoke, Slowbro, Slowking Professor Sycamore
Metal Metal October 16, 2017 to November 6, 2017 Burning Shadows Heavy Ball (x2) Bronzor, Bronzong SteelixEX (x2) Klink, Klang, Klinklang Skyla
Lightning Lightning November 6, 2017 to November 27, 2017 Dark Explorers Super Rod (x2) Blitzle, Zebstrika RaikouEX (x2) Mareep, Flaaffy, Ampharos Cheren
Water Water November 27, 2017 to December 18, 2017 Crimson Invasion Random Receiver (x2) Psyduck, Golduck GlaceonEX (x2) Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon Brigette
Darkness Darkness December 18, 2017 to January 8, 2018 Crimson Invasion Dark Patch (x2) Sneasel, Weavile DarkraiEX (x2) Zorua, Zoroark Colress
Colorless Colorless January 8, 2018 to January 29, 2018 Boundaries Crossed Ultra Ball (x2) Swablu, Altaria ShayminEX (x2) Togepi, Togetic, Togekiss Ghetsis
Fairy Fairy January 29, 2018 to February 19, 2018 Crimson Invasion Rainbow Energy (x2) Spritzee, Aromatisse GardevoirEX (x2) Ralts, Kirlia, Gallade Pokémon Center Lady
Fighting Fighting February 19, 2018 to March 12, 2018 Ultra Prism Float Stone (x2) Carbink, Carbink RegirockEX (x2) Machop, Machoke, Machamp Brock's Grit
Psychic Psychic March 12, 2018 to April 3, 2018 Plasma Blast Hypnotoxic Laser (x2) Eevee, Leafeon DeoxysEX (x1), Computer Search (x1) Magnemite, Magneton, Magnezone N
Metal Metal and Colorless Colorless April 3, 2018 to April 24, 2018 Ultra Prism Nest Ball (x2) Pikipek, Trumbeak, Toucannon SolgaleoGX (x2) Oranguru (x2) Lillie
Grass Grass April 24, 2018 to May 15, 2018 Ultra Prism Rare Candy (x2) Paras, Parasect DecidueyeGX (x2) Bounsweet, Steenee, Tsareena Professor Kukui
Dragon Dragon May 15, 2018 to June 5, 2018 Boundaries Crossed Nothing (Replaced with an additional "Trainer Token x75" reward) Nothing (Replaced with an additional "Uncommon Chest x2" reward) LatiasEX (x2) Nothing (Replaced with an additional "Boundaries Crossed booster x2" reward) Skyla

Shop

Shop button (shopping cart). The in-game Shop system allows players to purchase Non-exclusive Theme decks, 10-card Booster packs, Gameplay items (Card sleeves, Coins, Deck boxes, etc.), and Avatar items with either Trainer Tokens or Gems. Redeeming Redemption codes, found with the physical purchase of the above items, is also done through this in-game Shop. Finally, the Shop allows adult players to purchase Gems and Event Tickets with real currency. A Gem is typically equal to 2 Trainer Tokens. Following the February, 2016 update, 5-card packs were replaced with 10-card packs which cost 200 tokens.

Shop items

Shop rotation

Starting on March 13, 2015, the predictability of item availability was streamlined and standardized.[5] A weekly special rotation was established, which occurred on Wednesday, when a new Weekly special would be offered and the former Weekly special would be removed. That way, the rotation would see a specific item's eventual return in the rotation cycle. Quarterly, new Non-exclusive Theme decks and Booster packs were introduced following the release of a new Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion. Annually, older Non-exclusive Theme decks and sometimes Booster packs were removed following the start of a new format Rotation usually after the Trading Card Game World Championships in August of each year. Finally, there were occasional, exclusive items made available for time to time that may only remain available for a less defined, limited period.

On February 27, 2018, several changes were announced regarding the way the shop would work from now on.[6] All Booster packs and Theme Decks from the XY series were brought back to the store in a permanent way, promising those from both the Black & White and the HeartGold & SoulSilver series to also be added in future updates. Due to these changes, it was also announced that the use of Weekly Shop Bundles would be discontinued.

Trade

Trade button (right & left arrows). The Trade system allows players to view and create public and private trade offers in-game. Players may trade one or several items, cards, and packs in each transaction. Items, cards, and packs obtained from Daily Challenges, the Trainer Challenges, redeeming the multiple-use Redemption codes or with Trainer Tokens are not available for trade with other players (appeared as "Trade Locked") to prevent players from accumulating these items by creating multiple accounts.

Theme decks

Main article: Theme Deck (TCG)

Currently, new players have access to six Online-exclusive Theme decks unique to the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. These Theme decks are composed of cards from various Black & White and XY expansions of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Many Non-exclusive Theme decks are also available.

Online-exclusive Theme decks

Main article: Online-exclusive Theme decks
  • Born of Fire, Crushing Current, and Hidden Depths. These decks are composed of cards from the XY series of expansions. They are slowly unlocked for use in all Play modes by beating seven different computer-controlled Trainers in the Trainer Challenge with each deck. This automatically replaces certain cards per Trainer beaten.

Rotated Online-exclusive Theme decks

Main article: Rotated Online-exclusive Theme decks
  • Basic Orange was formally unlocked as the first Daily Login Bonus prior to the August 13, 2014 update. It can no longer be unlocked. It is still accessible to players who have already obtained it. It is NOT playable in the Trainer Challenge.
  • Power Relay was formally unlocked by entering a special Redemption code (e.g. "plasmablast") in the in-game Shop prior to the October 2, 2013 update. Now, it can only be redeemed by codes distributed at PAX East 2016.

Non-exclusive Theme decks

Main article: Non-exclusive redeemable decks

These Theme decks correspond to the physical decks in the Black & White Series expansion onward and be may unlocked in Pokémon Trading Card Game Online by redeeming the deck-access Redemption codes included in the Theme deck box. Only one Theme deck of the same kind per account can be unlocked regardless of the number of codes. Alternatively, newer Theme decks may also be purchased with Trainer Tokens or Gems in the in-game Shop. There is no limit to the number of in-game Shop copies of a Theme deck that may be purchased.

Players obtain a single Trainer Token for beating each of the 36 Trainers in the Trainer Challenge once per Theme deck. Additionally, players also obtain a non-tradable, 10-card Booster pack from the current Standard format by beating 12 Trainers once per Theme deck. These Trainer Tokens and Booster packs can only be obtained once per account.

Game menu

The Game menu navigation system is accessible at the top of most Pokémon Trading Card Game Online screens. Game menu options appear in the following order left to right: Home, Play!, Cards, Shop & Redeem, Player Profile, TCGO graphic, Trainer Token total, Event Tickets total, Options, and Social menu. Many primary Game menu options provide access to additional secondary options. All game features should be accessible through this unified navigation system.

Home

Home button (house symbol on green background). Selecting this button in the very upper left corner of most Pokémon Trading Card Game Online screens takes players back to the initial post-login Landing screen.

Play!

Play! button (triangle “play” symbol on green background). Allows players to select from the following Play modes: Trainer Challenge (star), Versus Mode (lightning bolt), Tournament Mode (trophy cup), in-game Tutorial (graduation cap), and Quick Match (triangle “play” symbol).

Cards

Cards button (three cards on green background). Allows players to select the following Pokémon card related features: Collection viewer (three cards), Deck Manager (open deck box), and Trade (right & left arrows).

Shop

Allows players to select from two options:

Shop button. It is where players go to purchase, through in-game Currency, items in the in-game Shop such as limited-time bundles; Non-exclusive Theme decks; 10-card, non-tradable Booster packs; Gameplay items; and Avatar items

Redeem Codes button. It is where players go to redeem codes for booster packs or other Pokémon merchandise.

Player Profile

Player Profile (Lvl Number – yellow text on green background). It is located just to the left of the large TCGO graphic in the upper center of most screens. Selecting the Player Profile provides access to the Avatar Creator, Daily Challenge information, and player game Statistics.

Avatar Creator

Selecting the Avatar Creator icon (left most of three icon near the upper righthand corner of the Player Profile screen — short sleeve T-shirt) allows players to customize their online Avatar in-game picture. Players may select from several skin and hair colors, hair styles, facial features, and clothes (also known as "Avatar items"). Players may unlock various Avatar items (clothes) by purchasing them with Trainer Tokens or Gems in the in-game Shop, redeeming codes in the Shop, or by in-game Trading with other players. Trainer Tokens may also be used to unlock clothing items on Pokémon.com by going to Customize Trainer. Avatar and/or Trainer clothing items available for purchase in one, are not always available for purchase in the other. Items added in one are not always available in the other. Like Pokémon cards, Avatar items cannot always be traded. Items purchased on Pokémon.com typically cannot be traded.

The Avatar Creator in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online adopts changes made by players on Pokémon.com to their Customize Trainer the next time that players logs back in to the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, and vice versa.

Active Challenges/Level Progress

This is the default screen that opens when players select their Player Profile, represented as the middle of three icon near the upper righthand corner of the Player Profile screen (an upward pointing arrow). All Active Challenges are displayed here after they are first presented to players in a popup window upon login into the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Additionally, player progress toward achieving specific Energy type level and rewards and overall Player level are also viewable here.

Statistics

The Statistics icon (right most of three icon near the upper righthand corner of the Player Profile screen with three dots followed by three short lines). It allows players to view their cumulative "Game Stats" and "Collection Stats" on one of two tabs. Before being retired, information about the Achievements reward system was also located here.

Game Stats: Collection Stats:
  • Total Cards Drawn
  • Total Damage Dealt
  • Total Damage Taken
  • Total Games Played
  • Total Game Points
  • Total Hours Played
  • Tournament Points
  • Total Upset Wins
  • Percent Complete — percentage of cards obtained out of all cards available in the game
  • Different Cards Owned — number of different cards in a player's collection
  • Total Cards Owned — total number of cards in a player's collection
  • Set Nearest to Completion — expansion or set with the highest percentage of total cards are in a player's collection
  • Complete Sets — enumeration of expansion or sets of which all cards are in a player's collection
  • Most of One Card
  • Foil Cards Owned — number of holofoil and reverse-holofoil rare cards

TCGO graphic

Selecting the large Pokémon Trading Card Game Online graphic in the upper center of most Pokémon Trading Card Game Online screens takes players back to the initial post-login Landing screen.

Trainer Token total

Trainer Token total (yellow coin on blue). This area provides the total number of player earned Trainer Tokens. Nothing happens when selecting the Trainer Token total image area. It is provided strictly for display purposes only.

Event Tickets total

Event Tickets total (yellow ticket on blue background). This area provides the total number of player earned Event Tickets. Selecting the Event Ticket total take adult players to a webpage where additional Tickets may be purchased. Otherwise, it is provided strictly for display purposes only.

Options

Options button (2 gears on green background). The Options menu is the second to last option in the upper righthand corner of most screens. It allows players to access the in-game Settings, Help, and Exit the game. It is one of two Game menu navigation system options available while players are competing in a Pokémon Trading Card Game Match.

Settings

Located in Options, this feature allows players to change various Game Settings such as "Game Play", "Video", "Audio", and "Image Cache". Multiple players using the same Pokémon Trading Card Game Online program have individual/per-account settings.

  • NOTE: Turning off "Tool Tip Hints" may negatively affect game play by making certain in-game information inaccessible, such as how many cards are left in the player's or an opponent's deck.
Pokémon Trainer Club
Main article: Pokémon Trainer Club

Some game settings are inaccessible in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online game itself and can only be found in the Pokémon Trainer Club by signing into Pokémon.com and viewing a player Profile. Adult players may adjust all available settings by selecting "Pokémon TCG Online Settings" under the adult player's Profile.

Child accounts
Main article: Pokémon.com, User profile

While the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online strives to be child friendly, parents may further restrict access to certain in-game features by signing into the parent's account on Pokémon.com, selecting the child's account under the parent account, and selecting Pokémon TCG Online Settings. Parents should be certain to select "Pokémon TCG Online Settings" under the child's account, not the parent's account. Parents may then restrict some in-game features such as Friend Chat, Game Chat, Shopping, and Trading.

  • NOTE: Some in-game features are inaccessible in child accounts, such as Public Chat and Private Messaging, while other in-game features are restricted by limiting available options. Adult accounts do not have such restrictions.

Help

The Help menu is found under Options. It provides links to web-browser based "Support", "Pokémon Rules", and "Pokémon Tutorials" (online Professor (TCGO)). The final "Legal" entry provides access to the in-game "End User License Agreement" and "Privacy Policy".

Exit

Also located in Options, players "Exit" or "Logout" of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online by selecting.

Social menu

Social menu button (left facing triangle with three head silhouettes on green background). The Social menu is found in the upper lefthand corner of most screens. When it is selected, it opens a side bar that slides out from the right side of the screen. When open, this Social menu side bar allows players to search for online "Friends", participate in "Public Chats", and review many recent in-game notification "Messages". It is one of two Game menu navigation system options available while players are competing in a Pokémon Trading Card Game Match, although its feature set is adjusted to reflect the in progress match context.

Friends Tab

By selecting the head silhouette image next to a "Friend"'s screen name, players are provided with several options: "Challenge Friend To A Game" (lightning with two head silloettes), "Private Message" (word bubble with three dots), "Remove Friend" (minus sign with head silhouette), and "Block And Ignore Player" (circle with strikeout line).

Blocking players

Players may choose to Block other players from interacting with them for any reason within the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, including features such as "Chat" and Versus Mode Random Battles. This "Block and Ignore Player" feature is found in the Social menu's "Friend" and "Chat" sections by selecting the head silhouette icon next a player's name and then selecting the "Block and Ignore Player" option.

Other features

Earning stars

Players earn up to four stars for each of the 36 Trainer opponents in the Trainer Challenge. Whether players win or lose, points are calculated at the end of a match. These points are added to the current point total for that individual Trainer in that position in a given league. Based on that cumulative total, players earn the following four stars and game rewards:

  • 1 Star (at 1,000 points) = 1 Trainer Token (per Trainer opponent)
  • 2 Stars (at 5,000 points) = 3 Trainer Tokens (per Trainer opponent)
  • 3 Stars (at 14,000 points) = 10 Trainer Tokens (per Trainer opponent)
  • 4 Stars (at 30,000+ points) = 1 non-tradable, 10-card Booster pack from the current Standard format (per Trainer opponent)
  • Additionally, players obtain 3 more non-tradable, 10-card Booster packs from the current Standard format format by earning 4 Stars with all 12 Trainers in a league for 9 more Booster packs.

These Trainer Tokens and 45 total Booster packs may only be obtained once per account.[7]

Scoring points in a Trainer Challenge match is based on various player performance criteria and on the difficulty level chosen, with a higher difficulty level earning more points per match by multiplying the earned points by the difficulty multiplier below:

  • Easy = 1
  • Medium = 2
  • Hard = 3

Game notifications

Game notifications are posted via two methods: 1.) the Game Information section at the bottom of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online log-in screen, and 2.) Pop-up Windows that appear shortly after logging into the game. Notices include Daily Challenge announcements as well as announcements concerning future Tournament special events, server maintenance that will make the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online unplayable for a few hours, information about a recent program upgrade or patch, etc.

Gameplay items

Gameplay items include Card sleeves, Coins, and Deck boxes. There is no unique advantage to selecting any one Gameplay item over another. It is solely a matter of player preferences about how certain game elements look. Gameplay items may be purchased from time to time in the in-game Shop, made available along with the purchase of Theme decks directly from the in-game Shop or through Redemption codes provided with the purchase of physical Theme decks and other select card collections, or may be Traded for with other players.

  • NOTE: Playmats are not currently available in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, although an option to select one in the Deck Manager indicates that they may become available in the future.

Coins

Main article: Coin (TCG)

Coins are Gameplay items that are used in-game when a move, status effect, or ability requires a coin flip. Different coins have no special effects; their only difference is their appearance. Players start out with the Red Arceus coin. At one time, the Blue Energy coin was given to players by completing certain in-game achievements (currently unavailable to newer players). Additional coins are made available when players redeem a purchased Non-exclusive Theme deck's Redemption code or event code in the in-game Shop or when players purchase a Non-exclusive Theme deck through Trainer Tokens or Gems.

Landing screen

The Landing screen is what players see immediately upon logging into the game. The Game menu on the Landing screen lacks a Home or selectable TCGO graphic since these options navigate the player back to this screen. Players may re-access the Landing screen by clicking on the Home button or the TCGO graphic logo. The Landing screen is the only way to access the five day Daily Login Bonus chart by selecting the Poké Ball in the lower right.

Login screen

The first sceen players see upon logging into Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. If players already have a Pokémon Trainer Club account, they may enter their "Username" and "Password" to log into the game. Additionally, in the upper left, players may select from one of several languages. They may choose to Exit the game by selecting the red "Power" button in the upper right. Finally, across bottom of the screen, players my select from "Forget Login Info?", "Create New Account", and "Play as Guest".

Miscellaneous

Card Detail View
For the Windows PC client, detail about a given card is available to the player by right clicking on the card. During matches, a much larger image of the card is displayed. When opening a new Booster pack or Theme deck or when using the Deck Manager and Trade, players are presented with a card interface similar to the Collection viewer, which displays how many total copies of that card the player already has in their collection and what number of these cards are tradeable or locked. Players can also mark the cards "For Trade", "Wanted", and "For Review". When opening Booster packs and Theme decks, this is often the only way to see this additional card information.
Full Screen/Window Display
For the Windows PC client, players may switch between a full screen display and a window display by using the following keyboard key combination: hold down the Alt key and then press the Enter key. For the Mac client, hold down the Command key then press the Enter key. Display issues may arise when not playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online inside a full screen.
Match Inactivity
Players must remain actively engaged in matches with other online players in Versus Mode or Tournament Mode. Discussions in the Social menu's "Game Chat" do not count toward player activity. Players should be considerate of the time invested not only by themselves but also their opponents. If the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online determines that players are inactive too long, it will display a 15 second warning. Ignoring the warning causes players to lose matches. This activity mechanism is designed to help insure players do not take advantage of another player.
Minimum Playtime Requirement
During Versus Mode Random Battle and Tournament Mode matches against other online players, Trainer Token and Bonus Wheel rewards are earned if matches lasts at least 2 minutes (5 minutes prior to the April 3, 2014 update).[8] This minimum amount of time was increased with the December 22, 2014 update for players forfeiting matches early (actively leaving a match, remaining inactive for an extended period of time, or not taking at least one Prize card) back to 5 minutes while guaranteeing rewards for players whose opponent forfeits matches regardless of the amount of time that passed.[9] This change was designed to discourage players for only playing long enough to earn Trainer Token and Bonus Wheel rewards.
Loss of Internet Connection
During online player versus player matches in Versus Mode or Tournament Mode, if players lose their Internet connection, they have 5 minutes to log back into the game before their opponents are declared the winner. When the Internet connection is lost by an opponent, players are notified with a pop-up message.

Player level

"Player level" strictly corresponds to player progress in the Daily Challenge reward system. It should not be confused with "Player rank", which is related to player versus player Random Battles or Tournament matches. Successful completion of challenges earns players Experience Points (or XP) that are applied to a specific Energy type related to a given challenge. Players eventually earn levels (Levels 0 to 3) for each Energy type. Earning Energy type levels increases overall Player level. Every players starts at Player level 0 (zero). Higher Player level grants greater flexibility in completing Daily Challenges.

Player level Available Challenges Total Active Challenges NOTES
0 to 2 1 1 Players receive one Daily Challenge option per day and may pursue one Daily Challenge at a time.
3 to 4 2 1 Players choose one of two Daily Challenges per day and may pursue one Daily Challenge at a time.
5 to 7 2 2 Players choose one of two Daily Challenges per day and may pursue up to two Daily Challenges at a time.
8 to 9 3 2 Players choose one of three Daily Challenges per day and may pursue up to two Daily Challenges at a time.
10 or more 3 3 Players choose one of three Daily Challenges per day and may pursue up to three Daily Challenges at a time.

Player rank

Little is known about the specific mechanics of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online's "Player rank" system or exactly when and why players are identified to have an "Advantage" in a Random Battle or Tournament match. The ranking system appears to be based on specific player deck history instead of overall player history. A separate matchmaking system for the Theme Deck format Play type was implemented in Versus Mode so that player history with Theme Decks format would not directly translate over to other Play type formats.[10]

Based on the ranking system, players with an "Advantage" are not always identified during a match. However, if Pokémon Trading Card Game Online does and the player without the "Advantage" wins the match, the winning player earns 2 Trainer Tokens. The ranking system is also used to help match players of similar experience during player versus player Random Battle matches. The Player rank system is more effective matching players during high player active and less effective when fewer players are looking to play a Random Battle against other online player. "Player rank" should not be confused with "Player level", which is related to the Daily Challenge reward system.

Versus Points

Versus Points allow players to advance along the Versus Ladder reward system. Players earn 10 Versus Points for every match they win in Versus Mode and an additional 5 Versus Points when the win against an opponent with the advantage.

Unavailable features

The following are features still unavailable worldwide:

  • Gems (Canada only)

Retired game features

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online has been in continual development since its initial inception. Often updates involve the addition of new rules and card as new expansion sets are released, the resolution of program errors, player interface changes improving usability, and the addition or re-addition of new game features. Occasionally, updates to the game involve the removal of previously existing game features.

History

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online was originally released on March 24, 2011[15] as a browser-based game. The game was subsequently redesigned as a downloadable game utilizing the Unity (game engine),[16] and relauched on May 15, 2012 for PC,[17] on November 5, 2012 for Mac,[18][19] and on September 30, 2014 for iPad.[20] The original browser-based version continued to function until August 8, 2012.[21] Development continues on the downloadable version even after it officially emerged from open beta testing in February 2015.[22] Additionally, some early features have also been retired or removed from the game.

The reprogramming and relaunch of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online[23] initially required the removal all game features except for the Trainer Challenge[24] and the now retired Achievements reward system.[25][26] Other features were gradually readded or added over time:

In other languages

Language Title
France Flag.png French Cartes À Jouer Et À Collectionner Online
Germany Flag.png German Sammelkartenspiel Online
Italy Flag.png Italian Gioco Di Carte Collezionabili Online
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Estampas Ilustradas Online
Russia Flag.png Russian Коллекционная Карточная Игра Онлайн Kollektsionnaya Kartochnaya Igra Onlain
Spain Flag.png Spanish Juego De Cartas Colleccionables Online

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ Tournament Rotation Refined — March 31, 2015
  2. ↑ Daily Challenge Details — Clocks, Levels and More - April 3, 2015
  3. ↑ Tournament Chests/Special Challenges — May 6, 2015
  4. ↑ Booster pack bundle, XY 4 Booster Pack Bundle with Krookodile-EX — April 1, 2015
  5. ↑ Shop rotation, Development Update: Tournaments, Shop and Next Game Update — March 13, 2015
  6. ↑ Making it Easier to Get the Cards You Want - News & Announcements - Pokémon TCG Online Forums
  7. ↑ New Trainer Challenge scoring system — April 23, 2013
  8. ↑ Minimum PvP match time/Daily Login Bonus, 2.18.1.402 Hotfix Notes | April 3, 2014
  9. ↑ PvP match forfeiting, 2.25.0.1042 Patch Notes | December 17, 2014
  10. ↑ Theme Deck format & Player rank – 2.29 Patch Notes | July 14, 2015
  11. ↑ Feature Retirement, 2.27 Patch Notes | March 25, 2015
  12. ↑ Booster Credit, 1.0.94 Patch Notes | February 6, 2013
  13. ↑ Booster Credit Sunsetting—Phase II — May 31, 2013
  14. ↑ Tournament Keys, 2013 March Community Update — March 28, 2013
  15. ↑ Web-based, Pokémon Trading Card Game Online announcements — February 25 & March 23, 2011
  16. ↑ Unity Game Engine, 2012 April Community Update — April 27, 2012
  17. ↑ TCGO Beta Release for PC, Build Notes — May 15, 2012
  18. ↑ TCGO Beta Release for Mac, 2012 October Community Update — October 27, 2012
  19. ↑ TCGO Beta Release for Mac, 2012 Patch notes for 11/16 — November 17, 2012
  20. ↑ TCGO Release, The Pokémon TCG Online Comes to iPad! — September 30, 2014
  21. ↑ Web-based Pokemon TCG Online now offline — August 8, 2012
  22. ↑ End of Open Beta, September 2014 Community Update — September 25, 2014
  23. ↑ Relaunch, 2012 March Community Update — March 30, 2012
  24. ↑ Initial features, New Trainer Challenge build heads up — May 11, 2012
  25. ↑ Achievements, Build Notes | May 15, 2012
  26. ↑ Achievements, State of the Game | May 21, 2012
  27. ↑ Avatar Creator, Build Notes | June 12, 2012
  28. ↑ Avatar Creator, 2013 June Community Update — June 29, 2013
  29. ↑ Many features reintroduced, 2012 July Community Update — July 24, 2012
  30. ↑ Versus Mode, 1.0.71 Build Notes | December 12, 2012
  31. ↑ in-game Shop, Notes for Build 1.0.10.21 — August 21, 2012
  32. ↑ Gems, 1.8.0 Patch Notes | April 18, 2013
  33. ↑ Gems, 2013 April Community Update — April 25, 2013
  34. ↑ Trainer Tokens, 1.11.18 Patch Notes | July 25, 2013
  35. ↑ Trading, 1.0.42 Build Notes | October 23, 2012
  36. ↑ Daily Bonuses, 1.0.84 Build Notes | January 16, 2013
  37. ↑ Daily Match Bonus, Server Update | April 23, 2015
  38. ↑ Daily Login Bonus, 2.28.1 Patch Notes | June 2, 2015
  39. ↑ 5-card Booster pack, 2013 July Community Update — July 31, 2013
  40. ↑ Player rank, 1.13.27 Patch Notes | October 3, 2013
  41. ↑ Play as a Guest, 2013 October Community Update — November 1, 2013
  42. ↑ Interface changes, 2013 July Community Update — July 31, 2013
  43. ↑ Interface changes, 2013 September Community Update — October 2, 2013
  44. ↑ Interface changes, 2013 November Community Update — November 28, 2013
  45. ↑ Interface changes, January 2014 Community Update — January 9, 2014
  46. ↑ Interface changes, 2.17.239 | February 5, 2014
  47. ↑ Interface changes, 2.18.0.380 Patch Notes | March 27, 2014
  48. ↑ Interface changes & iPad, September 2014 Community Update — September 25, 2014
  49. ↑ Dev Update: Versus Rewards, New Layout & Stomped Bugs — July 14, 2015
  50. ↑ Tournament Mode, February 2014 Community Update — March 1, 2014
  51. ↑ Tournament Mode, 2.18.0.380 Patch Notes | March 27, 2014
  52. ↑ Tournaments Alpha Testing Status Update — April 11, 2014
  53. ↑ Tournament Mode, April 2014 Community Update — May 1, 2014
  54. ↑ The Clash of Magma vs. Aqua - The very first Pokémon TCG Online tournament event! — February 4, 2015
  55. ↑ Play Tournaments! On-demand — February 24, 2015
  56. ↑ Give the Bonus Wheel a Spin! — June 25, 2014
  57. ↑ Mystery Box contents updates — July 28, 2014
  58. ↑ Bonus Wheel, 2.26 Patch Notes | February 4, 2015
  59. ↑ Tutorials, 2.22.0.755 Patch Notes | August 13, 2014
  60. ↑ New Tutorial and XY Basic Yellow Deck in Version 2.29 — July 14, 2015
  61. ↑ Pokémon Trainer Club, 2.23.0.822 Patch Notes | September 3, 2014
  62. ↑ Daily Challenge Details – Achievements and Daily Login — March 24, 2015
  63. ↑ Special Challenges/Tournament Chests, 2.28 Patch Notes | May 6, 2015
  64. ↑ Dev Update: Refining Rewards and Coming Features — June 5, 2015
  65. ↑ Earn Versus Points for Victories! — July 14, 2015
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