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Pokémon TCG Pocket Player Count Drops Sharply from a Year Ago
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s monthly player base has fallen sharply over the past year, with DeNA reporting an average of about 23 million active users between April and June 2026. The decline matters because the game has been a major contributor to DeNA’s games business, whose revenue and profit also dropped significantly year-on-year.
Monthly active users were down roughly 41% from around 39 million in the same period of 2025, although the quarter-on-quarter fall was smaller, from 24 million to 23 million. DeNA plans to improve engagement and retention through events and promotions, while players have cited difficult rare-card pulls, duplicate cards, and trading restrictions as possible reasons for waning interest; its games division recorded $76.88 million in quarterly revenue, down 33%, and $24.14 million in profit, down 62%.
In short
- Pokémon TCG Pocket lost roughly 41% of monthly players year-on-year.
- DeNA’s games revenue and profit also fell sharply.
- The company plans events and promotions to retain players.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Pokémon TCG Pocket's decline, whilst notable, reflects natural engagement patterns in mobile gaming following a launch honeymoon phase. With 23 million monthly active users still engaging and quarter-on-quarter figures stabilising, the game appears to have reached an equilibrium rather than experiencing freefall. DeNA's commitment to engagement through events and promotions demonstrates active management, and the game continues contributing meaningfully to the company's revenue despite year-on-year comparisons that include an exceptionally strong prior-year baseline.
The case against
The 41% year-on-year decline and 62% profit collapse represent a fundamental loss of player confidence, not normal cyclical adjustment. Players have identified specific, solvable frustrations—monetisation mechanics around rare-card pulls, duplicate-card issues, and trading restrictions—that suggest misalignment between core experience and player expectations. These aren't inherent to a trading-card game; their persistence indicates either unwillingness or inability to address retention problems, raising serious questions about the game's long-term viability.
Explained simply
Pokémon TCG Pocket is a mobile game based on the Pokémon Trading Card Game, where players collect digital cards and build a collection. DeNA, a Japanese games company, develops and runs it with The Pokémon Company.
The game has been an important source of income for DeNA’s games business. Player numbers and the division’s financial results help show how well the game is keeping players interested and what that means for the company.