Pokemon TCG Pocket Bots?

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Initially, when Pokemon TCG Pocket unveiled its new Ranked Mode, I felt joyful on behalf of other players. However, it wasn’t something that excited me personally as I am not proficient in the Pokemon Trading Card Game due to my reluctance to adapt to popular strategies or stick to a single deck without Eeveelution cards. I figured it would be an enjoyable addition for others and something I could casually overlook. However, being a part of this field, I can’t truly disregard developments like these. Intrigued by the rewards for the inaugural Ranked Mode season and aware that I needed to play at least one match to claim any of them, I decided to give it a try.

In the Pokemon TCG Pocket game, I’ve found myself mostly engaged with solo battles rather than player versus player (PvP) ones after several tries. I appreciate the compact card battles in the app, but I find it more comfortable to compete against the computer since it doesn’t pass judgment. After the game launched and the strategy became established, my adorable Grass-type Leaves of Fate deck started falling behind due to numerous losses. Consequently, I anticipated a crushing defeat in my inaugural Ranked Match.

Instead of finding it challenging, I found it surprisingly simple, even perhaps overly so. Initially, I assumed that the ease was due to me starting later in the Ranked Matches, meaning I’d need to gain some levels to encounter players who weren’t just starting out in Pokemon TCG Pocket. However, the strategies these players were using in battle made no sense at all. In quick succession, I encountered several players running decks with various energy types, a tactic that is almost certain to result in defeat when battles are fast-paced and have only 20 cards each.

During my morning coffee break, I enjoy playing a rotation of Pokemon mobile games. Typically, I’ll have a podcast playing in the background, and on this particular day, it was the “It’s Super Effective” Pokemon news podcast. As I played, the host began discussing bot behavior within the Ranked mode of the Pokemon TCG Pocket game. They mentioned how these bots usually employ decks with three distinct energy types and often have uncomplicated names like Mike or Bob.

It was then that I came to understand. The ones I was outplaying so effortlessly with my adorable grass-themed deck, they weren’t actual opponents. They were computer programs.

Perhaps I should have figured it out on my own at some point, but I eventually found out that… Ever since the initial Mikes and Bobs I encountered, I’ve noticed a number of suspicious bot accounts while playing. A quick search on Reddit confirmed that other players are also observing this robotic behavior in the ranked mode of Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Hmmm guys, i think there are bots on ranked.
byu/Cirninha inPTCGP

Due to the current problem with bots in the Pokemon Trading Card Game (PTCG) community, specifically their tendency to grab cards from online listings, it’s understandable to assume that these bots are created by individuals aiming to manipulate the system. However, upon closer inspection and if you’re not one to overlook fine details, there’s a less sinister explanation at play.

In a recent announcement for the A2b season, Pokemon TCG Pocket casually mentioned that some high-ranked players might face AI opponents instead of human ones.

Since it’s placed right above the visual representation of the rank reward emblems and preceding the bold “Attention!”, many gamers may have overlooked this message initially. Consequently, a significant number of players, including myself, were initially unaware of the easy opponents in the r/PTCGP subreddit.

In the game Pokemon TCG Pocket, it’s not immediately obvious that some opponents are actually AI. These digital players appear just like real users in the system, and you can even interact with them post-game by sending thanks or friend requests. However, these AI characters won’t respond to your interactions, and they won’t accept friend requests. It would have been nice if Pokemon TCG Pocket had made their bots more interactive, but perhaps they don’t want to hand out too many shop tickets that way.

It seems these bots are primarily found among lower-level players, assisting them in their progression. Experienced players in the Ranked Mode have mentioned not encountering Bill and Chris as they advanced to higher ranks. There’s a chance these characters appear after a particularly tough loss to boost morale, although Leafeon and I are clueless about such matters.

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2025-04-10 00:40