The Pokémon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky set is the game’s fourth main set. It brought excellent new cards, but it also brought with it the ‘New Art Coming Soon’ controversy for Ho-Oh and Lugia ex cards. This guide has everything you need to know about why the cards look so bizarre and what the plan is moving forward.
For the first time in Pokémon TCG Pocket history, there has been a major mix-up with card designs. I believe there has been the odd minor mishap, which has been quickly remedied with updates in the past. However, the Wisdom of Sea and Sky set has had a full-blown PR plagiarism nightmare with its two main immersive cards.
Let me explain the ‘New Art Coming Soon’ message you might see in Pokémon Pocket.
Why Does it Say ‘New Art Coming Soon’ on Lugia ex & Ho-Oh ex Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s developers had to remove the immersive artwork for Lugia ex & Ho-Oh ex Cards due to a plagiarism issue where the original card designs were based on incorrect materials belonging to a different artist.
An internal investigation was launched after it transpired that Pocket had potentially copied Ho-Oh fan art. After some deliberation, it was deemed that this was unintentionally the case.
A statement was released saying the company had “Provided incorrect materials as official materials to the illustrator commissioned for these cards.” This is why Ho-Oh and Lugia did not have official art at the time of the set’s release and had their artwork removed.
I was fortunate enough to pack a Lugia ex card at launch—as you can see in the screenshot above. I can confirm the immersive mechanic is broken. If you hold down on the card, the screen turns into an eternal black void, before pulling you back out to the real world. It’s low-key horrifying.
You can likely expect an update to the Pokémon TCG Pocket app once the new art is ready.
When Will Lugia ex and Ho-Oh ex Cards be Fixed in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
Luiga ex and Ho-Oh ex cards will be updated “As soon as preparations are complete.”
This isn’t the exact time or date I’m sure you’re hoping for. This is all Creatures Inc. and DeNA have been able to say so far. This all happened very close to Wisdom of Sea and Sky’s launch. Naturally, new art has to be prepped, drawn, and finalized. This could take some time, especially given the interactive nature of immersive cards.
Hopefully, it won’t take too long to release the new cards.
Have you pulled a Lugia ex or Ho-Oh ex card? Or have you been exceptionally lucky enough to get both? Let me know through the Insider Gaming forum.
I’ve also put together a handy guide explaining how to get a 6-card pack in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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