Pokémon TCG Pocket players are opening fewer virtual booster packs than they were a year ago, as DeNA’s latest financial update points to a major decline in the game’s monthly active users. The mobile card-collecting game averaged around 23 million monthly active users between April and June 2026, down from roughly 39 million during the same period last year.
That represents a drop of about 41% year over year. However, the decline does not appear to be accelerating quickly. DeNA said the game averaged around 24 million monthly active users in the previous quarter, meaning the latest quarter was down by about one million players.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Player Decline
| Period | Monthly Active Users | Change |
|---|---|---|
| April–June 2025 | Around 39 million | — |
| January–March 2026 | Around 24 million | Down from 2025 peak |
| April–June 2026 | Around 23 million | Down about 1 million quarter over quarter |
| Year-over-year change | — | Around 41% decline |
DeNA Wants to Improve Retention
DeNA is now focused on slowing the decline and giving players more reasons to return regularly. The company said its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, were released on August 5, with its games business remaining one of the key areas affected by current performance trends.
The company has not revealed every detail of its next plans, but it has pointed to events and promotions as part of its strategy. That could mean more limited-time activities, special packs, login rewards, competitive events, new card sets or improvements to trading and collection systems.
Recent Pokémon TCG Pocket Updates
The game’s latest card set, Ruler of the Skies, arrived in late July and added another wave of collectible cards. The expansion is led by Mega Rayquaza ex, along with other Mega Evolution cards such as Mega Gallade ex and Mega Metagross ex. Players interested in the franchise’s most iconic creatures can also explore our ranking of the 25 best Pokémon of all time.
New sets like this are important because Pokémon TCG Pocket is built around the excitement of opening packs, finding rare cards and completing collections. If players feel that new expansions are not rewarding enough, they may log in less often over time. Fans of collectible card games may also want to see the Naruto Card Game rules, gameplay and cards to compare how another major franchise approaches card collecting and play.
Why Are Players Losing Interest?
DeNA has not blamed the decline on one specific issue, but players have shared several common complaints online.
Main Player Complaints
- Rare cards can feel too difficult to pull.
- Many packs contain duplicate cards.
- Trading still has too many restrictions.
- Players want better ways to use extra duplicate cards.
- Pack points could be more flexible.
- Some players want stronger events and daily reasons to log in.
- Long-term collectors want more meaningful rewards.
Trading has been one of the biggest discussion points since it was added in January 2025. Although the developers have already changed parts of the system, including removing unpopular Trade Tokens, restrictions remain. Players can still only trade with friends, and not every card can be exchanged freely.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Is Still Huge
Despite losing more than 40% of its monthly audience compared with last year, Pokémon TCG Pocket is far from a small game. Around 23 million monthly active users is still a massive player base for a mobile card game.
The challenge for DeNA is not simply getting people to install the game. The bigger challenge is keeping existing players engaged enough to return, open packs and participate in events regularly.
Final Verdict
The decline in Pokémon TCG Pocket players shows that even a successful mobile game based on one of the world’s biggest franchises needs constant updates to maintain momentum. The game still has a huge audience, but DeNA now needs stronger retention tools to keep players active.
If future events, card sets, trading improvements and rewards feel more generous, Pokémon TCG Pocket could stabilize its player base. But if players continue to feel frustrated by duplicates, pull rates and limited trading, the monthly audience may keep shrinking.