Ranked matches, a battle mode that allows you to prove your deck and your own strength, are coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Battling against other trainers has been a staple of the Pokémon series, whether it was in-game vs. Youngster Joey or in-person with Pokémon Trading Cards. Pokémon TCG Pocket combines the two for a unique battle experience, but is somewhat missing a true level of measured competition.
Players have been hoping for a ranked battle mode to come for a while, and it’s finally on its way. Here’s when the Ranked mode is releasing in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and what we do and don’t know about the feature so far.
Update (March 27): We’ve updated this guide with more specific timing following the release of the Shining Revelry expansion.
When does Ranked Mode release in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
The first season of ranked matches is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket on Friday, March 28 at 2 a.m. EDT and will last until Sunday, April 27, at 1:59 a.m. EDT, according to a post by The Pokémon Company. Here’s when that is in your timezone:
- 11 p.m. PDT on Thurs. March 27 for the West Coast of North America
- 2 a.m. EDT for the East Coast of North America
- 6 a.m. GMT for the U.K.
- 7 a.m. CET for West Mainland Europe
- 3 p.m. JST for Japan
- 5 p.m. AEDT for the East Coast of Australia
How Ranked Matches work in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Ranked is a competitive mode where trainers will compete against another trainer of similar skill level to climb up the rankings and become the strongest trainer out there. Ranked matches can be accessed in the “Versus” mode in the “Battle” tab.
To know how you fare against the rest, ranked matches will employ a rank system that goes from Beginner to Master Ball rank. The five ranks in Pokémon TCG Pocket, from lowest to highest, are as follows: Beginner, Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and Master Ball.
As you win battles, you’ll earn points and go up in rank once you hit certain point milestones, but, as you lose battles, you’ll lose points and potentially demote to a lower rank. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which has a similar ranked mode, players can demote ranks within a certain tier, which matches the Beginner to Master Ball ranks in Pokémon TCG Pocket, but you cannot demote to a lower tier.
Trainers will compete in a month-long season where they’ll ascend and descend the rankings. Master Ball rank players will have their specific number ranking displayed, so top players will be able to measure how close they are to the #1 spot.
At the end of the season, trainers will earn rewards based on where their rank including a special tier emblem that displays their rank at the end of the season. Additionally, if players participated in ranked matches during a season, they’ll start the next season with points based on their results in the previous season.
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