What is the Pokemon TCG Online shut down date? The long-running online version of the ever-popular Pokemon Trading Card Game for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android is being closed down “soon” and being replaced with the new and flashier Pokemon TCG Live, but when exactly will that happen? Will all the progress and cards players have made be wiped out at the Pokemon TCG Online end date?
When is the Pokemon TCG Online end date?
Pokemon TCG Online will close shortly before the launch of its replacement Pokemon TCG Live, which will likely happen in the next few months.
At the present time, according to the main website the only information available is that Pokemon TCG Live is “available soon.” However, an FAQ posted on the website says that the shutting of Pokemon TCG Online will only happen after Live has gone through its beta test and Canadian soft-launch — both of these will happen “later this year,” so Online could close as soon as December or early next year. Early 2022 seems the most likely, although The Pokemon Company promises to release more details on the timing of all this “soon.”
The Pokemon Trading Card Game Live app is the full replacement for Pokemon TCG Online, so the good news is that players will be able to transfer almost all of their Pokemon trading cards, details, and progress from Online to Live — even the accounts will stay the same, so Online players can simply login to Live with their usual details and everything should carry over immediately, although they may not be able to trade with other players.
The Pokemon Company is clearly hoping fans will flock to Live the same way as they do with the still wildly popular Pokemon Go, especially to play with Pokemon cards in these times. Pokemon Go developer Niantic got in trouble over recently for trying to push the game back to pre-pandemic changes, with boycotts over the game by players for removing several of the more useful changes, so hopefully Live won’t fall into the same trap.
