The Pokémon Company has announced several changes coming to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, starting with the first expansion in the Scarlet and Violet series hitting in March. In addition to the ex gameplay mechanic that was announced for the series in August at the Pokémon World Championships, players can expect several changes to the cards and the packs in which they are housed.
First up, those yellow borders U.S. players and collectors are so used to will become a thing of the past. Starting with Scarlet and Violet, the borders will be gray to match the Japanese cards. The move is said to provide a more seamless experience for the Pokémon Trading Card Game while putting a greater emphasis on the actual artwork of the cards. Additionally, Trainer cards will now have subcategories displayed at the top left corner of the card for more visibility in players’ hands; examples given for this include Supporter, Item, and Stadium. Basic Energy cards will feature another Energy symbol at the bottom right for easier tracking during gameplay, and expansion symbols will be replaced by expansion codes and language codes across all cards.
There is some bittersweet news coming alongside this announcement, though. The bitter part is that the booster pack price will be going up from $3.99 to $4.49, a move The Pokémon Company attributes to global inflation impacting the cost of materials and production. Other products may also cost more going forward. However, the sweet side of this news is that the Pokémon TCG team will try to make up for the increased prices by raising the number of guaranteed foil cards per pack to three. Now, all cards with a rarity of “Rare” or higher will be foil. Additionally, larger box items, such as the Elite Trainer Boxes, will include additional items. For example, Elite Trainer Boxes will include an additional booster pack and full-art promo card.
If you’re going to miss the yellow border, the Sword and Shield – Silver Tempest expansion launched last month, and we’re expected to get the final Sword and Shield expansion, Crown Zenith, in January. After that, the Pokémon Trading Card Game looks to shift gears to fully embrace the Gen 9 games, along with all the changes detailed above, with the first Scarlet and Violet expansion arriving on March 31.
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