Pokemon TCG Live will bring the card game to smartphones for the first time

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Pokemon TCG Live is the next online version of the Pokemon Trading Card Game, and it will be the first time players are able to build decks and battle rivals on smartphones.

The Pokemon Company announced Pokemon TCG Live in a post on its official website, heralding it as a new and improved experience that will be ideal both for new players and seasoned Pokemon Trading Card Game masters. The latter type of player is probably aware that there's already an official, online version of the card game called Pokemon TCG Online, and the news also confirms that this earlier game will shut down in the leadup to Live's arrival.

You can check out the official FAQ to see what bits of your Pokemon TCG Online will transfer over to Live and what won't, but the short answer is that all the cards from the Sword & Shield series and select expansions from Sun & Moon will transfer over and be playable at launch, and "many" accessories like coins, card sleeves, and deck boxes will transfer too.

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On top of being playable on smartphones and tablets, Pokemon TCG Live will also be playable on tablets, PCs, and Macs. An open beta for the PC and Mac version is planned for later this year, as well as a "soft launch" for the mobile version starting off in Canada. No official dates have been given for Pokemon TCG Online shutting down yet, but The Pokemon Company says it will "have more details to share on exact timing soon."

If you're in the mood for more collecting and battling, check out our guide to the best Pokemon games.