Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, the newest game from The Pokémon Company, enters beta testing on iOS and macOS next week before it makes its official debut. But there is a rather large catch (excuse the pun).
If you want to be one of the first to play Pokémon TCG Live, you must be Canadian.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Live on the way
Pokémon TCG Live looks set to be much like the tabletop TCG games that we’ve seen from The Pokémon Company before. Players build decks that feature their favorite Pokémon, then battle it out with friends.
The big difference this time around, because we’re in 2022 now, is those battles take place online, so you don’t need to meet with friends — or have real friends at all — to play. There will also be different game modes and daily quests.
The best bit? Pokémon TCG Live will support cross-platform play across Android, iPhone and iPad, Mac and PC. It will also be “free-to-play with no in-app purchases.” That’s a big win right there.
Sign up for the Pokémon TCG Live beta
The beta, which goes live on February 22 across all the platforms mention above, features the same Pokémon roster from the Sword and Shield games that first launched on Nintendo Switch in 2019.
There’s just one downside: It’s only available to “Canadian players,” The Pokémon Company said on Wednesday. It’s not clear if other countries will be added later, or will have to wait for the official public release.
If you live in Canada, you can sign up for the Pokémon TCG Live beta on February 22 by installing the app for iOS or Mac. The Pokémon Company has confirmed a full release date yet.
