The Pokemon Company has announced several changes coming to the Pokemon trading card game, starting with the first expansion in the Scarlet and Violet series coming in March. In addition to the former game mechanic announced for the series in August at the Pokemon World Championships, players can expect a number of changes to the cards and packs they are in.
First, those yellow borders that American players and collectors are so used to will become a thing of the past. Starting with Scarlet and Purple, the borders will be gray to match the Japanese cards. The move is said to provide a smoother experience for the Pokemon Trading Card game while putting more emphasis on the actual graphics of the cards. In addition, the coach cards will now display subcategories in the upper left corner of the card, for more exposure in the hands of the players; Examples given for this include Supporter, Item and Stadium. Basic energy cards will feature an additional energy icon in the lower left corner for easier tracking during gameplay, and expansion icons will be replaced with expansion codes and language codes on all cards.
However, there is bittersweet news alongside this announcement. The bitter part is that the price of the booster pack will increase from $3.99 to $4.49, a move that The Pokemon Company attributes to global inflation affecting the cost of materials and production. Other products may cost more in the future. However, the sweet side of this news is that the Pokémon TCG team will try to make up for the price increase by increasing the guaranteed number of foil cards per deck to three. Now all cards with a rarity of “rare” or higher will be foil. Additionally, larger box items, such as elite trainer boxes, will include additional items. For example, Elite Trainer Boxes will include an additional booster pack and a full promo card.
If you’re going to miss the Yellow Border, the Sword and Shield – Silver Tempest expansion launched last month, and we’re expected to get Sword and Shield’s latest expansion, Crown Zenith, in January. The Pokemon Trading Card Game then looks to shift gears to fully embrace the Generation 9 games, along with all of the changes listed above, when the first Scarlet and Violet expansion arrives on March 31st.
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