The first-ever Pokémon TCG mobile game, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket (PTCGP), launched late last year, sending players worldwide into a frenzy. Today (July 30), it dropped a brand-new expansion pack, "Guidance of Heaven and Sea," but before anyone could even crack open a pack, a major controversy erupted.
The issue centers around two "reality cards" from the upcoming "Guidance of Heaven and Sea" expansion: Ho-Oh ex (★3) and Lugia ex (★3). The official statement revealed a problem with the Ho-Oh illustration featured in the card's "reality-style performance" during the production process, prompting an official apology.
So, what exactly went down? Before the card pack was even implemented in the game, the 3-star reality card art for Ho-Oh was datamined and leaked by netizens (not officially released). Once the artwork spread online, a Chinese artist named 昼时歌 ( @lanjiujiu ) noticed something alarming: the official card looked almost identical in pose to an illustration she had drawn four years prior. Overlaying the images proved it, leaving her baffled that the official team would use such a similar design. The incident quickly went viral.
Early this morning, before the card pack even went live, the official team preemptively issued an announcement, stating that issues were discovered during the production of Ho-Oh ex (★3) and Lugia ex (★3). Following an internal investigation, it was found that the team responsible for card development mistakenly provided an incorrect version of reference material as official data when commissioning the design work to an illustrator, leading to errors in the final illustration content.
As a result, the problematic cards will initially be released with "temporary illustrations." Once the correct, official illustrations are ready, they will be replaced. The official team also stated they would continue to investigate whether similar issues affect other cards. Finally, they extended their deepest apologies to all Pokémon fans and the illustrators who painstakingly create the card art, promising to strengthen quality control in the future to prevent similar incidents and ensure a more enjoyable gaming experience for everyone.
Players who pull these two cards in the game will currently see the following:
After seeing the official announcement, artist 昼时歌 posted an update, expressing gratitude for the prompt handling of the situation. She mentioned that she had simply completed the commissioned artwork without realizing its intended use, which led to the current predicament, and admitted her understanding of copyright was not cautious enough at the time.
The matter has now been resolved, with the official team confirming the artwork will be replaced and no further action will be taken.
However, with the card pack barely launched, this kind of controversy certainly left many netizens questioning the official team's oversight. Now, it's just a waiting game for the corrected artwork to be implemented.