Pokemon TCG Pocket's Lake of Rage mission has led many fans to rage-quit the A4 set's themed collections, as it feels especially tough for free-to-play players. Pokemon TCG Pocket has had its share of nearly impossible missions in the past, but most of those were secret ones, while Lake of Rage is not.
The difference between regular and secret missions in Pokemon TCG Pocket is that the latter are expected to be extremely challenging. These are objectives only the most dedicated players usually pursue, and they're generally seen in a positive light since they add an extra layer of challenge. The problem now is that a standard themed collection mission seems to break that balance, putting too much pressure on some free-to-play players.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Fans Still Have 1 Big Complaint About the Game
A long-standing design choice in Pokemon TCG Pocket continues to annoy fans, and there’s apparently little to no hope it will be addressed.
Pokemon TCG Pocket's Lake of Rage Mission Has Frustrated F2P Players
Lake of Rage is part of Pokemon TCG Pocket's Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion. The mission requires players to collect five cards: four one-diamond Magikarp copies and the rare Shiny Gyarados, also known as the Red Gyarados. While Magikarp cards are common and can be traded, the shiny Gyarados is much harder to obtain, especially for free-to-play users who mostly rely on daily packs. This has led many players to criticize DeNA, the game's developer, for adding what they call an “unfeasible” regular mission.
Frustrated fans argue that the Lake of Rage mission would make more sense as a secret mission because of its extreme requirements. To highlight this, Reddit user Myxas_ shared an infographic showing that chasing the shiny Gyarados could take opening more than 1,000 booster packs. With Pokemon TCG Pocket's shiny card drop rates being so low, Myxas_ noted that crafting the Red Gyarados with Pack Points is often the more practical option.
Some might suggest that players should simply skip this mission and focus on other gameplay elements like ranked matches. But the counterpoint lies in Pokemon TCG Pocket's identity as a "card collecting" game. Many players stay engaged for the thrill of completing their Pokedex and showcasing finished missions, something the Lake of Rage challenge now disrupts.
For the past few months, Pokemon TCG Pocket fans have voiced frustration over the game's lack of soft pity mechanics. They've urged developer DeNA to introduce solutions that would make card acquisition more manageable for free-to-play players. Suggestions include unifying Pack Points across older expansions or allowing trades for rare cards like shinies and full-art copies. So far, DeNA has largely ignored this feedback, and it remains unclear if the developer plans to address drop rate issues anytime soon.
- Released
- October 30, 2024
- Developer(s)
- DeNA, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game
