We got our first hands-on with Pokémon TCG Pocket — and opened packs for days

During the 2024 Pokémon World Championship in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dot Esports got its first chance to Pokémon TCG Baga mobile and digital version of the popular TCG game.

While gameplay was nowhere to be seen, event-goers in Hawaii were able to open packs to simulate how opening packs works at launch. We were given access to three packs known as Genetic Apex with a Pokémon name in front of them, and we were told that each pack had its own cards to discover.

Of course, we got to work, opening stacks of packs to try and find rare and shiny cards, knowing that we had no chance of finding them when the game eventually went live. The rarity odds were clearly inflated for the demo, but we didn’t care: we just wanted to see what was available.

What’s cool about the rarer cards is that if you hold them and tilt them, you can see the holographic effect in real time or some cards have depth and almost pop out in a 3D image. Each card also has unique effects, making every potential future deck a bling deck waiting to happen.

After opening a dozen packs, I finally got what I was looking for: the previously announced animated artwork Pikachu card. I rushed to grab my phone to capture the artwork in real life for the first time, and it was every bit as incredible as I had hoped.

It’s breathtaking to see yourself step into the artwork of a TCG card. It’s just amazing to see what you normally don’t see come to life with crisp animations. I can already see Trainers hunting for these cards from day one, and hopefully there’s a way to craft or get them outside of opening packs. Otherwise, I think our wallets are going to be scared To fail launch date.

Some event staff said they were looking forward to the release on a specific date. When I asked a TPCi representative for clarification on the game’s release window, I was told that this was a miscommunication from staff and not the actual release date at all.

Still, with Worlds still underway and the many new projects and announcements expected on Championship Sunday, maybe we’ll get the official release date for Bag and details about how the game works beyond the pack opening feature.