Pokémon TCG Pocket Suddenly Pulls Card Design Embroiled in Plagiarism Controversy, as Company Admits 'Production Issue' and Launches Wider Investigation

The Pokémon Company has dramatically pulled the plan of a caller Pokémon TCG Pocket trading card, amid a firestorm of contention implicit its evident origins.

Fans had said the card, Ho-Oh EX from the game's Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion, was based connected plagiarised instrumentality creation — and successful a connection issued today, The Pokémon Company fundamentally admitted arsenic much.

Now, the card's artwork — alongside that of its sister Lugia EX card, which besides features the Ho-Oh plan — person been pulled from the game, specified hours earlier Wisdom of Sea and Sky's planetary launch. Addressing the situation, The Pokémon Company said it "deeply apologize[d] for immoderate inconvenience" and was present conducting a reappraisal of each different cards, to guarantee nary different designs were astatine fault.

"To our community, convey you for your continued enactment and passionateness for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket," The Pokémon Company wrote. "We privation to stock an important update regarding the upcoming expansion, Wisdom of Sea and Sky. It has travel to our attraction that determination was a accumulation contented regarding the illustration of Ho-Oh featured successful the immersive paper artwork for Ho-Oh EX (3-Star) and Lugia EX (3-Star).

"After interior review, we discovered that the paper accumulation squad provided incorrect materials arsenic authoritative documents to the illustrator commissioned to make these cards. As a result, some cards person been replaced with a impermanent placeholder that the squad is actively moving to regenerate with caller artwork arsenic soon arsenic it's ready.

"We are besides conducting a broader probe to guarantee nary akin issues beryllium elsewhere successful the game."

Currently, obtaining the paper shows an bare paper plan with awkward-looking "New Art Coming Soon" substance — and past a achromatic surface successful spot of the card's immersive artwork. It doesn't look great.

Holy cattle guys I can’t judge I opened this successful Pokemon TCG pouch 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3st3ILATSW

Yesterday's controversy, which came aft the Wisdom of Sea and Sky's paper designs were datamined and examined online, sparked a wider treatment implicit the Pokémon's ineligible presumption for fanart — which look to suggest the institution could, if it wanted, bash immoderate it liked with fan-made designs.

Today's enactment powerfully suggests that portion The Pokémon Company whitethorn legally beryllium capable to reason it tin usage instrumentality designs, it successful signifier does not privation to typically bash so, oregon permission fans reasoning it present sees fanart arsenic just crippled for its commercialized use.

"To each our players who person been looking guardant to this expansion, and to the talented illustrators who bring the Pokémon satellite to life, we profoundly apologize for immoderate inconvenience this has caused," The Pokémon Company continued. "We instrumentality this substance precise earnestly and are committed to strengthening our prime power processes to forestall this from happening again.

"Thank you for your understanding, patience, and continued enactment of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. We stay dedicated to delivering an acquisition that you tin enjoy."

Left: Ho-Oh's now-pulled Pokémon TCG Pocket card. Right: Ianjiujiu's archetypal design.

Speaking to IGN yesterday, video crippled manufacture ineligible adept Richard Hoeg, big of the Virtual Legality podcast, said The Pokémon Company's ineligible presumption connected instrumentality creation enactment arsenic an acknowledgement that fans volition make their ain Pokémon creation — but that ultimately, from a ineligible standpoint, immoderate publicly-shared designs autumn nether the ownership of The Pokémon Company.

"It efficaciously says 'Look, we (TPC/Nintendo) are legally inactive the lone ones allowed to marque derivative works (fan creation included), but we each cognize you're going to bash it," Hoeg said of the terms, "so if you do, connected the off-chance it's special, we tin usage it without different paying you (since it was ours to statesman with)'."

Today's statement, however, suggests Pokémon TCG Pocket volition not beryllium featuring immoderate much instrumentality creation anytime soon.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social