Pokemon TCG Pocket has brought back its incredibly challenging SP Emblem challenge, and players are taking to conceding in droves, thanks to frustration, protest, and simply giving other people a chance to complete it.
Pokemon Pocket’s SP Emblem events involve winning consecutive battles, with the grand prize being a golden trophy for five successes. This golden Emblem can then be displayed on your profile for other competitors to see.
Considering the current Pokemon Pocket meta is dominated by a handful of competitive decks that can get an early edge, it can be off-putting to enter a fight against one. This has led to players on the PTCGP Reddit conceding matches immediately out of frustration due to the game’s mechanics.
Pokemon Go players are conceding to help others and protest the game
Due to how punishing certain cards can be, it’s possible to lose very early in Pokemon Pocket. This is due to an instant loss if your Active Pokemon is KO’d and you have nothing on the Bench.
“I was on a 3 win-streak. Next game, I have only one pokemon at the beginning, my opponent sent Articuno. He plays first. Misty, 3 rolls. He won, I didn’t even play,” one user exclaimed, while another wrote “I conceded on Misty triple heads in two games then I gave up.”
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There are some players who are quitting to help the fanbase. “For me, it is kinda a (new) tradition. After I got the emblem (with 2 free wins because op conceded), I’ve been conceding for almost 30 min,” one user admitted, and another said, “I see no emblem, I’ll concede. Even had a Pikachu ex player on the verge of losing and I conceded anyway. Hope I made his day or continued his streak.”
Not everyone is quitting out of anger, as some skilled (or lucky) players are auto-conceding to help other players on their journey. “I’m running a joke deck to give people free wins because I’ve already got the gold emblem,” one user wrote, while another said, “I’m running a joke deck to give people free wins because I’ve already got the gold emblem.”
The issue is with how easy it can be to get screwed out of a game early on. A lucky Misty or a Hitmonlee with a ton of targets can make battle end before they truly begin.
Hopefully, when the next Pokemon Pocket set is out, it won’t be as punishing in the early game. It’s so easy to get screwed over by the RNG, and it’s affecting how enjoyable the events are.
