The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket mobile game is estimated to have earned more than US$120 million in sales, despite having a free-to-play model.
According to PocketGamer.biz, the title smashed the US$100 million sales mark in less than 3 weeks after its 31 October release date, according to estimates from AppMagic. As of 17 November, sales have reached a new milestone of US$120.8 million.
Pokémon TCG Pocket is a free-to-play game, but it gives players the option to purchase additional in-game content such as booster packs, cosmetics, and a monthly pass which provides one extra pack a day. Currently, the game has averaged almost US$6.4 million in daily player spending since its launch.
Among the game’s audience, Japan remains the biggest contributor in terms of spending, currently sitting at US$50.6 million, 42% of global spending, with the United States following at US$33.6 million (28%).
To keep interest high among its player base, game developer Creatures Inc. has released a constant stream of events since launch, including the Wonder Pick Event, which offered new missions and rewards such as the chance to pull a Meowth or Chansey, or the Lapras ex Drop Event which allowed players to battle increasingly difficult decks for a chance to win the coveted special card.
Riding on the popularity of the worldwide physical card game phenomenon, Pokémon TCG Pocket has risen up to become The Pokémon Company’s second-biggest mobile launch in history, only US$18 million behind 2016’s Pokémon GO, which earned US$138.8 million in the same 3-week timeframe. With the announcement of new cards in December and trading features in 2025, there’s no doubt that the game’s popularity will continue its steady rise.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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