Pokémon TCG Pocket is a smartphone spin-off where players can collect cards for free. However, the mobile game could now face the same competition that it already had in the anime sector – what a déjà-vu!
What kind of competition is it about? Bandai Namco has hinted at a new mobile game for Digimon with a small teaser. In the clip on X, Renamon, which you may recognize from the third season of the anime, picks up a cellphone. When it touches the screen, it gets sucked into the phone.
Unfortunately, there is no further information yet, except that it is supposed to be a “new card game project.” More details are to be revealed only at the Digimon Con. This will take place on March 20, 2025, at 4:00 AM German time and can be followed on YouTube.
This could give Pokémon TCG Pocket a new competitor on the smartphone. In both games, it will likely be about collecting monsters in card form. This longstanding rivalry between Pokémon and Digimon dates back many years.
The major highlight of the Digimon Con will be another video game:
Pokémon and Digimon are major competitors
Why are they rivals? Both Pokémon and Digimon feature colorful monsters that can be captured and used in battle. The creatures can also be cared for and have the ability to transform into stronger forms. The major commonality between both franchises is, therefore, the monsters.
However, Pokémon has prevailed and has become the largest anime franchise in the world. This is due to several factors:
- Both Pokémon and Digimon had an anime that aired in Germany at the same time on RTL 2 in the 90s. However, Pokémon started a whole 2 years earlier than Digimon. Additionally, there is an iconic duo with Ash and Pikachu that has been on television for decades. In Digimon, the protagonists change with each season.
- The video games of Pokémon have become successful thanks to Nintendo and continue to produce new generations regularly.
- Pokémon has also established itself in the mobile market, an area that is becoming increasingly important. There are many more games fans can download here (via Pokémon). For Digimon, you can count the mobile games on one hand (via DigiPedia).
As a result, the brand value of Pokémon is now approximately 17 times that of Digimon.
What else can we expect from the Digimon Con? A major highlight in the video game sector will be Digimon Story Time Stranger. It is a game set to release in 2025. Players will travel back and forth between the human and Digi-world: For many, it is the “better Pokémon”, now Digimon is getting a new game for Steam, PS5, and Xbox
