I have spent the last year watching Pokemon TCG Pocket's collection economy bend like a willow in a storm, and the Deluxe Pack EX is the branch that finally snapped. The mobile game still puts card collection front and center, with battling available for players who want to test their decks, but the dream of completing every expansion has become a strange mix of dedication and luck. Collecting every single card is nearly impossible, much like the original Pokedex in the mainline games, yet fans can still finish booster expansions with enough patience. The problem is that patience is no longer enough when limited-time packs demand both time and money.
When the Deluxe Pack EX arrived on September 30, 2025, and left on October 30, 2025, it was a one-month window. DeNA confirmed the pack would return in the future, but as of 2026 it still has not fully clarified whether the return will keep the same set list or swap out important cards for new ones. That uncertainty matters. The line-up included a new Pikachu EX art rare, a full art Professor Oak, full art Greninja and Gardevoir, and likely more. On paper, the pack borrowed from Japan's High Class packs by guaranteeing a chase card in every pull. That should have been a gift. Instead, it became a stress test.
The Good Idea That Turned Into a Trap
The guaranteed chase card was the Deluxe Pack EX's best feature. Players could throw daily packs and hourglasses at the set to get an EX they missed or a unique full art. But the limited-time nature of the set goes against the very same system of daily packs and hourglasses. Hourglasses in Pokemon TCG Pocket typically have to be earned through daily missions, limited-time events, and solo battles that cannot be farmed. They can be stacked by saving them in advance, or players can purchase them in bundles like many other mobile game premium currencies.
Of course, a system like this means some players work on a free-to-play basis, and that leaves them at a loss with the Deluxe Pack EX. If players do not use any hourglasses on the Deluxe Pack EX, then they have to wait 12 hours between pulls assuming they log in daily. This limits them to a maximum of 60 packs while the Deluxe Pack EX is available, which makes duplicates or basic bad luck worse to deal with. It is a slot machine whose payout table is rewritten every month, and I cannot pretend that feels fair.
The Shinies and Premium Promos Made It Worse
The Deluxe Pack EX did not arrive in a vacuum. The current problematic state of the game's collecting has grown worse over time. Limited event premium subscription promos are just par for the course with a game like Pokemon TCG Pocket. Shinies themselves illustrate the tense situation the game is in right now. Many fans dislike how the Shinies are extremely expensive with pack points, leaving players to rely on luck to get them. To add insult to injury, if they pull the wrong Shiny, they cannot trade it to someone who wants it. Now, it seems like these issues are only going to get worse.
I have watched friends pull a Shiny they did not want and stare at it like a beautiful key that fits no lock. That is the exact feeling the Deluxe Pack EX multiplied. The pack came after frequent set releases had already fatigued players. There is not only at least one monthly set coming to the game, but the chase cards of the Deluxe Pack EX demand players' time or money unless they want to miss out. There is a very big difference between this and the premium pass cards, which cost money and vanish after a set time frame, but those are at the very least upfront with their limited number, cost, and are guaranteed.
The 2026 Aftermath
In 2026, the limited window is over, but its shadow is longer than ever. DeNA has promised that the Deluxe Pack will return someday. That promise is like a library card that expires before I can read the first chapter. It sounds nice, but it does not solve the core problem: players who missed the window either have to grind for hourglasses, spend money, or trust an unknown future set list. The Deluxe EX Pack encourages players to spend their time grinding for hourglasses to get their chase cards, or rely on an unknown promise that they will be back someday. It is certain to divide players by those who got lucky, those who have the money to spend, and those who do not get anything they want, which only aggravates Pokemon TCG Pocket's growing issues.
| Player type | What they get | What they lose |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky free-to-play | A chase card from a daily pull | The ability to choose their target |
| Paying collector | More pulls and bundles | Money, plus the stress of duplicates |
| Unlucky free-to-play | Maybe nothing | Time, hope, and collection completion |
The collection economy is a garden where the flowers are behind a gate that closes at sunset. You can admire the gate, but you cannot take the flowers with you unless you pay the gardener or run very fast. I still enjoy Pokemon TCG Pocket's battles and the thrill of a good pull. But the Deluxe Pack EX made one thing clear: the game is no longer just asking for dedication. It is asking for luck, money, and a tolerance for missing out. In 2026, that is a hard bargain to accept.