Is Pokemon TCG Pocket globally available?
Pokemon TCG Pocket is the latest digital offering centered around the beloved Pocket Monsters Trading Card Game. Early rollouts of availability have begun, but does this mean the application can be tested globally? Unfortunately, the answer is no. The early iteration of the application is currently only available for testing in New Zealand ahead of the app's release on October 30, 2024.
While The Pokemon Company may allow additional world regions to download and play Pokemon TCG Pocket before October 30, at present, New Zealand is currently the only region that can access the application. However, it appears that this hasn't stopped some players from circumventing the regional restrictions and downloading/playing the game.
Is it possible to play Pokemon TCG Pocket outside of New Zealand?
Although it runs counter to the terms of service for Pokemon TCG Pocket, some players have circumvented the regional block for the early iteration of the game on Android devices. This involves utilizing a VPN to change one's IP address to a New Zealand location, then using a .xapk file and .xapk package installation tool to install the game to a player's device.
Additionally, players on iOS have been creating new Apple IDs that are falsely located in New Zealand, opening up availability to download the application on the Apple App Store.
It should be noted that while some players have had success with these methods, The Pokemon Company opened its initial rollout for the app in New Zealand for a reason. If a player's account is found to be bypassing the regional block, there may be consequences. Still, it appears that some trainers are willing to take the risk to play Pokemon TCG Pocket early.
If the wrong region is detected on a player's device, Pokemon TCG Pocket informs them with a notification that the game isn't available in their region, preventing the ability to log in. Moreover, because of a multitude of other factors, including a device's inherent location settings, the methods above may not be successful for logging in either, as the community appears to have had mixed results.
While it's understandable for fans to want to dive into the card collecting and quick battling that TCG Pocket provides, the nature of the game doesn't provide many benefits for diving in early. Sure, some trainers will be able to accumulate daily packs ahead of others, but the same packs can be obtained via microtransactions or in-game hourglass items.
All in all, if trainers are willing to bypass the regional blocks for TCG Pocket to play the game before it's available in their region, they do so at their own peril. The Pokemon Company isn't likely to be lenient toward players skirting their rules, and while the impact of early gameplay may not be as impactful as something like spoofing in Pokemon GO, the consequences may not be worth the risk for many.