Pokemon TCG Live goes beta for the first time today, even if it is only in Canada. Here's everything we know about the game so far.

Update 9 PM Eastern:

Quote From PokemonTCG

The limited beta for Pokémon TCG Live in Canada is live and available for Android, Windows, and macOS devices. For iOS users, the beta will be coming soon. Stay tuned for more info!

Please note that we currently don't know the exact launch time. We'll update this post when the game is live and stable.

Who Can Play Pokemon TCG Live?

For the initial stages of the beta, Pokemon TCG Live will only be available in Canada. It is available to players with the following devices:

  • iOS - Devices back to iPhone 7 and iPad (2017) with iOS 15.
  • Android - Devices back to Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2016) with 2 GB of RAM and Android 8.0 Oreo.
  • Windows PC - Windows 7, Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2, NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT or ATI Radeon HD 2600XT, 3 GB RAM.
  • Mac - MacOS OS X 10.14, Intel Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce GT 8600M GT or ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro, 3 GB RAM.

Brilliant Stars Early Access

Pokemon TCG Live participants get an additional treat over just playing with the new game - the newest expansion is also available.

This isn't too early though as the real launch date outside of Japan is later this week on February 25. Players will get to experience the cards over here first though if they are able to play on Pokemon TCG Live which may prove to be advantageous.

Brilliant Stars Introduces Pokemon VSTAR

The expansion introduces the new "VSTAR" mechanic, which is the fourth iteration of "Pokemon V". These Pokemon VSTAR evolve from their respective Pokemon V and have higher hit points and better abilities.

Let us know how the mechanic feels if you get a chance!

Your Pokemon TCG Online Collections Have Moved!

If you missed the original announcement when The Pokemon Company first introduced Pokemon TCG Live, don't worry! Here's your reminder from us that your previous digital collection will be carrying over, though there are some gotchas.

  • Players from Pokemon TCG Online will not lose any of their cards.
    • Most cards only transfer over with a cap of 4 - extra copies over this are lost.
      • Energies cap at 59.
      • V-UNION cards cap at 1.
      • ACE SPEC or Prism Star cap at 1.
    • Some cards, although transferred, will not be playable immediately. This includes the following sets:
      • Everything from XY Series.
      • Everything from the Black & White series.
      • Sun & Moon through Dragon Majesty in the Sun & Moon Series.
  • Unopened packs in PTCGO will be transferred as Crystals.
    • 1 to 9 unopened items in the Pokémon TCG Online = 250 Crystals awarded in Pokémon TCG Live
    • 10 to 24 unopened items = 550 Crystals
    • 25 to 49 unopened items = 1,125 Crystals
    • 50 to 124 unopened items = 2,350 Crystals
    • 125+ unopened items = 6,200 Crystals
  • Some items will not be transferred:
    • Pokémon TCG cards from the HeartGold & SoulSilver Series
    • Avatar items
    • Unopened products and bundles
    • Certain coins, card sleeves, and deck boxes
    • In-game currency
    • Friends list
    • Saved deck lists
  • There is no more trading.

The big takeaway is that trading is no longer going to be a thing. If you still have cards you want to trade, you should do so on Pokemon TCG Online before playing TCG Live.

The Pokemon TCG Live Brilliant Stars Battle Pass

It wouldn't be a modern game without some kind of Battle Pass. Right now we're not too sure about all the details, but we do know there is in fact a Battle Pass and there are two upgrades available for it.

The upgrades come in the form of the "Premium Pass" which unlock a second row of obtainable goodies, and a "Premium Pass +" which is the same as the Premium Pass but also includes a boost that starts you at Tier 15 instead of 0. 

  • Premium Battle Pass costs 800 Crystals.
    • 8 Boost Packs from past expansions.
    • 1 Collector Crate.
    • 500 Coins.
    • 750 Credits.
    • 4 Avatar Items.
    • 600 Crystals - 3/4 of the way to buying the next pass.
  • Premium+ Battle Pass costs 2000 Crystals.
    • You get everything in the Premium Pass.
    • 15 Tiers instantly unlock. This is a cost reduction should you want to buy tiers individually.

Are you going to be playing Pokemon TCG Live in the limited-beta? What most excites you about the new game? Hopefully this opens up to more countries soon!