Pokemon TCG Pocket Players Make Fun of Recent Plagiarism Issue

Pokemon TCG Pocket fans are making fun of the placeholder image used for the two plagiarized immersive cards in the Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion. Accusations of plagiarism surfaced immediately after the A4 set was leaked, with one artist claiming that Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s immersive Ho-Oh EX card is an exact replica of their 2021 design.

Pokemon TCG Pocket later responded to the accusations by taking responsibility. According to the company’s official announcement, the card production team had seemingly provided fan art as official artwork to the commissioned artist, which led to accidental plagiarism. Acknowledging the issue, Pokemon TCG Pocket also stated that both illustrations of the set’s immersive cards for Ho-Oh EX and Lugia EX will be temporarily removed and replaced with a placeholder until new artwork is ready.

However, fans opening new Wisdom of Sea and Sky booster packs have noticed that by “temporary placeholder,” the developer meant a plain background with only the text “New Art Coming Soon.” Naturally, some Pokemon TCG Pocket fans have responded with humor, offering their own “wacky” illustrations of Ho-Oh EX and Lugia EX as stand-ins for the missing artwork.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Fans Are Sharing ‘Hilarious’ Immersive Art Placeholders

“I am an illustrator. I have put together this art that the devs can use as the placeholder free of charge,” wrote a fan, sharing a doodle meant to represent the Legendary Pokemon bird Ho-Oh. Another fan shared an immersive card mockup with the word “Lugia” scribbled across a white frame, accompanied by exclamation marks, claiming to have come up with the best alternative for the missing art and animation.

Jokes aside, many fans have appreciated Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s announcement, calling it the right move. The fact that the company didn’t sweep the issue under the rug and, instead, addressed it directly and accepted responsibility is something the community seems to value. Some have also suggested that The Pokemon Company should hire the artist whose work was plagiarized or simply pay them to keep the current illustrations. If that were to happen, it wouldn’t be the first time the game has used fan art on an official card. Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Gardevoir card already features fan-made artwork that won a contest a few years ago.

It remains to be seen whether these placeholder text cards will be replaced by the same artists behind the previous artwork or if the developer will opt for new commissions. Whatever the case, fans are hoping the new cards arrive as soon as possible. After all, immersive variants are some of the rarest cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket, and those who were lucky enough to pull Lugia and Ho-Oh copies can’t wait to see their new animations.