So, Pokémon TCG Pocket, the groundbreaking digital card game that’s totally not just a cynical cash grab, apparently had a bit of a “whoopsie” moment. Turns out, their latest expansion, “Wisdom of Sea and Sky” (wow, so profound 🙄), is missing some key ingredients: actual, you know, ARTWORK. Instead of majestic Lugia and Ho-oh, players are greeted with a “New Art Coming Soon” placeholder. Riveting gameplay, 10/10 would recommend to my grandma.
Imagine spending your hard-earned Poké-dollars (or, you know, real money because let’s be honest, who’s earning Poké-dollars?) on a pack of these digital gems, only to pull a card that’s basically a digital participation trophy. “Congratulations, you got a ‘New Art Coming Soon’ card! Collect all 151!” 🎉 It’s like ordering a gourmet burger and getting a picture of a cow instead. Thanks, I’m starving. This is what happens when you let interns run your design department, folks.
According to the Pokémon overlords (via PokéBeach, because apparently, they’re the only ones who can get a straight answer out of these guys), it was all just a “minor” production error. They claim the card production team accidentally used “incorrect reference materials” when commissioning the art. Oh, so you’re telling me someone accidentally gave the artist a coloring book page instead of, you know, the actual concept art? 🖍️ Sure, Jan. They’re “actively working” to replace the placeholder with new artwork. Translation: “We’re scrambling to find someone who can draw a bird that doesn’t look like it was traced from a toddler’s doodle.”
Of course, the internet sleuths (aka people with too much time on their hands) had already figured this out WEEKS before the official launch. A fan artist named lanjiujiu (bless their heart 🙏) noticed some, shall we say, “striking similarities” between their 2021 Ho-oh drawing and the “official” Pokémon TCG Pocket artwork. Their post blew up faster than a Voltorb in a fireworks factory, because, duh, plagiarism is a no-no. Especially when you’re a multi-billion dollar company ripping off indie artists.
Then, another internet hero, Lewtwo, dropped the mic 🎤 with a side-by-side comparison of the artwork, highlighting the “largely identical” perspective, wing shape, and feather size. You know, minor details. As Atsushi Furusawa (a real artist, unlike… well, you know) explained on the Pokémon Illustration Contest website, creating Pokémon TCG artwork is a “painstaking ordeal” with “multiple steps” for supervision. Apparently, Pokémon TCG Pocket missed a few steps. Like, all of them. It appears Pokémon TCG Pocket‘s digital cards go through a sophisticated process of Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V.
The Pokémon Company is taking full responsibility, shielding the artist (SIE NANAHARA) from the online firestorm. How noble. But in the meantime, fans who shelled out their digital shekels for the “Wisdom of Sea and Sky” expansion will be stuck staring at a “New Art Coming Soon” placeholder. Maybe they can use it as a coaster? 🤷♀️ Or, you know, demand a refund for false advertising. Just a thought. 🧠
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
