Pokemon TCG Pocket Just Added a Shiny Mewtwo ex Card Locked Behind a $23 Paywall

Pokemon TCG Pocket's caller expansion, Shining Revelry, conscionable dropped this week. And portion fans are enjoying the caller line-up of shiny Pokemon cards successful each the colors of the rainbow, there's 1 that's causing immoderate division: a shiny Mewtwo ex paper that's lone disposable to players who wage $23 successful existent money.

Here's what's going on: Mewtwo ex is simply a paper that already exists successful the crippled successful respective forms. It was added successful the precise archetypal set, Genetic Apex, which has a "regular" version, an "immersive rare" mentation with Mewtwo bursting retired of containment, and a "gold crown" mentation of Mewtwo against a golden background. All 3 versions person the nonstop aforesaid moves and powerfulness levels, truthful successful a match, it doesn't substance which 1 you use. But they're each varying degrees of rare, truthful for those who privation to "catch 'em all" truthful to speak, it's captious to way down each three.

The Mewtwo ex successful question present is different mentation of that aforesaid card, with the aforesaid effects. The quality is simply a cosmetic one: this Mewtwo ex is simply a "shiny", truthful it's greenish alternatively of pinkish, and has a antithetic background. However, it besides takes up a abstracted slot successful your paper postulation successful the caller Shining Revelry expansion, meaning collectors request it if they privation to 100% implicit their collection.

Here helium is, successful each his shiny glory:

A screenshot of Pokemon TCG Pocket's caller Mewtwo ex card.

Unfortunately, the paper is lone disposable done 1 method: by paying $22.99 successful existent wealth for a store bundle containing Poke Gold, a clump of different Mewtwo-themed cosmetic items (like a coin, a playmat, etc), and the paper itself. There's nary different mode to get it, not done packs oregon Wonder Pick oregon thing else.

Some players are not reacting good to the news.

Their vexation is understandable. Pokemon TCG Pocket has been retired for respective months present and has gone done 4 antithetic expansions of varying sizes, arsenic good arsenic aggregate events. While players who wage existent wealth person up til present had definite advantages successful presumption of however accelerated they tin turn their collections and different cosmetic rewards, this is the archetypal clip a paper has been locked down a golden bundle paywall. What's more, it's a bundle that's worthy acold much than the paper by itself presumably would be, arsenic it includes different items similar currency.

That said, immoderate fans are rolling their eyes a spot astatine the controversy. Several person pointed retired that the paper is purely cosmetic - it doesn't bash thing antithetic from the different Mewtwo exes you tin obtain, and if you don't toggle connected a definite enactment successful your settings, you can't adjacent spot it's missing from your collection. Others are pointing retired that successful the past, definite different promo cards person been locked down having a Premium membership, which is itself a monthly paid subscription (albeit $12/mo, with different benefits).

Probably the biggest interest from players, though, is the slippery slope of it all. If Pokemon TCG Pocket is consenting to gross a Mewtwo ex this way, volition it gross different cards? What if the crippled yet starts locking marque caller cards with caller effects down paywalls, efficaciously requiring players to wage wealth if they privation that circumstantial effect successful their decks? Even though there's nary motion of that happening conscionable yet, immoderate are inactive acrophobic that, with time, it may.

IGN reached retired to The Pokemon Company for remark connected this change, the criticism, and the anticipation of aboriginal cards being down paywalls.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].