Pokemon TCG Pocket Sees Sharp Drop in Monthly Active Users and Revenue
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Pokemon TCG Pocket has experienced a 41% year-over-year drop in monthly active users and a corresponding decline in revenue, prompting co-developer DeNA to focus on new events and retention strategies to re-engage players.
Mobile phenomenon Pokemon TCG Pocket is experiencing a cooling period, with recent financial reports from co-developer DeNA showing a significant decline in both active players and overall revenue compared to a year ago. Between April and June 2026, the digital card game averaged roughly 23 million monthly active users, marking a notable 41% drop from the 39 million players recorded during the same period in 2025. While the sharpest losses happened over the course of the past year, quarter-on-quarter numbers indicate the bleed has slowed, with the game losing around one million monthly users since the previous quarter.
The dip in engagement has directly impacted DeNA financially, with the company reporting a 33% drop in games business revenue and a steeper 62% decline in divisional profit, directly attributing the shift to the mobile title's performance. Naturally, the community has plenty to say about what is driving players away from ripping digital booster packs. Common pain points discussed among players include frustratingly low pull rates for rare cards, persistent restrictions on the trading system, and a lack of flexible options for dealing with duplicate cards.
Despite the downward trend, a monthly active user base of 23 million means the game is far from fading into obscurity. DeNA is shifting its focus toward player retention, pointing to upcoming limited-time events, new card expansions like the recent Ruler of the Skies set, and special login rewards as key tools to bring lapsed collectors back into the fold. The main challenge for the development team moving forward will be balancing monetization with community quality-of-life requests to keep their massive remaining audience engaged. As reported by Polygon, the developers are currently working on fresh initiatives to stabilize the player base.
Tags: Pokemon TCG Pocket, Mobile Gaming, DeNA, Trading Card Games, Gaming Industry
Original article: Polygon