Pokémon TCG Pocket: Another Card, Another Glitch in the Matrix? Fans Spot Buzzwole Déjà Vu After Ho-Oh's Art Vanishes!
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Following a Ho-Oh art scandal, Pokémon TCG Pocket players are now scrutinizing the Buzzwole EX card, which bears a striking resemblance to fan art, sparking community debate over the line between inspiration and tracing, and prompting The Pokémon Company to audit all game art.
Right, so you know that feeling when you cast a spell and it goes a bit… sideways? Like, you wanted a healing potion, but you accidentally summoned a minor imp? That’s kind of what’s been happening over at The Pokémon Company with their new TCG Pocket app. Just when we thought the dust was settling on one rather spectacular art-related kerfuffle, a fresh ripple has appeared in the digital ether. And this time, it’s got a Buzzwole flexing its suspiciously familiar muscles.
Fair dinkum, it feels like only yesterday we were all scratching our heads over the Ho-Oh EX card in TCG Pocket’s shiny new Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion. Remember that one? The digital version of the legendary bird looked eerily similar to a piece of fan art. Turns out, it wasn't just a coincidence. The Pokémon Company (TPC) eventually had to fess up, admitting they'd somehow provided 'incorrect materials' as official references to the poor illustrator. The result? Those particular Ho-Oh and Lugia EX cards are currently rocking a rather uninspired 'New Art Coming Soon' placeholder. Bloody hell, it’s like watching a magic trick where the rabbit just… disappears mid-air. Original reporting on this fascinating saga came from IGN South Africa, and they’ve been digging into the evolving situation.
Now, as if that wasn’t enough drama for a digital card game, the ever-vigilant Pokémon community has, once again, put on their detective hats. This time, their focus has shifted to the Buzzwole EX Immersive Rare card. You know the one: big, beefy Ultra Beast, flying through space in what can only be described as a surprisingly heroic, Superman-esque pose. It’s got one arm raised aloft, ready to, well, probably punch a planet.
But here’s the rub, mate. Some fans are pointing out that this particular Buzzwole pose, its framing, and the overall concept, bear a striking resemblance to a piece of fan art that’s been floating around online since way back in 2017. One Reddit user, Ricky_chimmerton, put it rather succinctly: “I was scrolling through my old camera roll when I thought I saw the immersive Buzzwole but then upon further inspection, it was fanart I saved of him from 2017.” They went on to add, “I know it ain’t an exact copy but this image was definitely referenced for the card we have.”
Now, this isn't a direct tracing allegation like the Ho-Oh situation, which is an important distinction. The conversation around Buzzwole is more nuanced, like trying to figure out if you inadvertently nicked your mate’s spellbook or just got heavily 'inspired' by their incantations. As fellow fan Aestrasz countered, “Similar pose, but not the same. It could have been an inspiration, but it was clearly not traced.” And Plane_pea5434 weighed in with, “Similar is an understatement but yeah at least in this case you can see it wasn’t just a complete copy.”
This is where it gets interesting, isn't it? The line between inspiration and appropriation. Buzzwole *does* often flex its muscles; it's kind of its whole vibe. So, is this just a common pose that coincidentally mirrors a fan's interpretation, or was that fan's interpretation a direct (albeit uncredited) reference for the official art? What would a curious gamer actually want to know? We want to know the *why*.
After the initial Ho-Oh snafu, The Pokémon Company pledged an audit of *all* Pokémon TCG Pocket cards. A big, sweeping spell of investigation, if you will, to ensure no other 'incorrect materials' snuck into the official library. By highlighting the Buzzwole similarity now, fans are essentially trying to give TPC a nudge, hoping they’ll take note sooner rather than later. Will Buzzwole EX join Ho-Oh and Lugia in the art purgatory of 'New Art Coming Soon'? Or will TPC deem its design 'different enough' to avoid replacement?
It’s a peculiar situation. On one hand, you’ve got The Pokémon Company bravely stepping up, taking full responsibility, and explicitly stating that the *illustrator* wasn't at fault – it was their internal 'production teams' who messed up by providing those 'incorrect materials'. That’s a pretty stand-up move, clearing the artist's name and taking the heat. It’s good to see them protecting their creatives, honestly. But on the other hand, it does make you wonder, doesn't it? How does a multi-billion dollar company’s internal process allow fan art to be presented as official reference material? Is it a rogue digital archive? A mischievous digital wizard hiding in the servers, pulling pranks with art assets?
This isn't just about a couple of cards, though. It taps into a much larger, often nebulous, part of the gaming world: the relationship between official IP holders and the massive, passionate communities that create endless fan art, fan fiction, and theories. Where does inspiration end and infringement begin? Who owns what, especially when community creativity often outpaces official output? This whole saga serves as a rather vivid reminder that managing digital assets and respecting creative origins in a hyper-connected world is a tricky business, even for the biggest players.
For us gamers, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We want cool art, obviously. And we want to trust that what we’re seeing, collecting, and spending our hard-earned cash on is, well, legitimate. This whole thing makes you gently skeptical of corporate promises, but also cautiously optimistic that they’re actually *doing something* about it. Let's see if this 'audit' truly cleans up the digital art closet. It’ll be fascinating to watch this space, to see if TPC’s magic really can untangle this one. And honestly, it makes you wonder what other digital tea leaves they’ll be reading next. Original reporting for this story was provided by IGN South Africa.
Tags: Pokémon, TCG, Game Art, Community, Intellectual Property
Original article: IGN South Africa