Pokemon TCG Battle Academy Takes a Cue From Board Games

As we’ve seen with Pokemon Sword and Shield, Nintendo and Game Freak’s horde of collectible critters is as popular as ever. And as new players come and go, new sets of the popular Pokemon Trading Card Game come out to match the games. But card games aren’t always easy to jump into, and social distancing doesn’t help. On June 21, 2020, a Pokemon TCG board game hybrid will launch as one possible solution.

The Pokemon Company has announced the Pokemon Trading Card Game Battle Academy, a standalone, two-player starter set that comes with everything two people need to play, and it presents it in a way that’s much fancier than a couple of folded paper mats. A full game board with labeled field points for both players is the star of the show, along with three full 60-card decks, beginner and advanced rulesets, and accessories.

Everything included in the Battle Academy box is totally compatible with the full card game, although it’s possible they might not hang with booster pack-fueled decks. It seems like making the Battle Academy a Pokemon TCG Board Game-looking set is the angle here.

The Pokemon Trading Card Game Battle Academy will be available via Target on June 21, 2020. It will see a wider release on July 31.