Pokémon TCG Pocket has soft-launched in New Zealand ahead of its global release on Oct. 30, and trainers worldwide are looking to pretend to be from the islands to get into the game early and see what it’s like.
By masking their regional location through services like a VPN, trainers can download the game on iOS and Android and test out the mobile game one month before release. It’s a great way to get in on the fun early, even if all the features aren’t there yet.
While Apple users can change their region to play the game early, Android users don’t have many options to legally play the game ahead of anyone else.
How to download the Pokémon TCG Pocket APK
Before we begin, we have to warn anyone looking to download the APK that the files could not be safe and could be easily outdated or replaced. So downloading an APK comes with a lot of risks that, for the most part, aren’t worth it due to potential viruses you could be downloading along with the game.
If it were up to us, we would prefer to wait until the official global launch to get the game. However, we are aware that some countries like Belgium can’t get access to the game due to local laws, so they have no choice but to download and install an APK.
There is no official APK file for TCG Pocket. But if you are okay taking the risks, you can follow these steps to download and install it successfully:
- On your Android phone, find a site with the APK download file and click the download link.
- You’ll be asked if you’re willing to download a file that might be harmful: Tap on Download anyway. Again, be warned that any APK file you might find could be harmful, and it’s a risk to you to download it. If you are unsure, download it first onto a secondary device, and don’t use any of your details to log into it.
- Once complete, go to the list of downloaded files on your device and tap the APK file to initiate the installation process.
Again, we can’t stress enough how risky downloading an APK file from an unofficial source is. We also don’t think it’s worth getting into the TCG Pocket early, as you need to run a VPN for it to work in the first place, and you can’t buy anything. You also risk getting your account banned for playing outside of the New Zealand region if you get found out.
If we had to give you any advice, it would be to skip the APK file for now and wait until next month, when you can enjoy the game to the fullest. But the choice—and any risks involved—is completely down to you.
