Pokémon TCG Live’s Trainer Trials update finally listens to the community

As we rocket towards rotation, Pokémon TCG Live is preparing for its biggest update of the season. But, as well as all the usual changes that come with standard rotation, we’re getting a whole new way to play thanks to Pokémon TCG Live Trainer Trials.

In the Pokémon TCG Pocket vs Live debate, Pokémon TCG Live is often the butt of the joke among players. The official simulation app for the trading card game has a rough history, coming out of beta in a broken state and cutting many of the features from its predecessor app that the community loved. One of the major losses to the online community with the death of Pokémon TCG Online was the removal of alternative formats from the client – but that’s all about to change.

In a forum post on March 20, 2025, the TCG Live team announced the introduction of Trainer Trials, a new casual mode that offers “rotating deckbuilding challenges” to shake up the game’s format and highlight some lesser-used cards. The full nine-week lineup features five non-standard game modes, but by far the most exciting addition is Gym Leader Challenge. GLC is a singleton format in the expanded card pool that not only bans rule box cards like EX and V Pokémon, but it limits you to a specific type, just like a real Pokémon Gym Leader.

GLC is a huge part of the Pokémon community, with official side events at practically every major tournament and a bustling online scene – one which I’m sure is delighted to receive official support once more. Its addition also hints at changes to the existing TCG Live Expanded format, which currently only features cards from the Sun and Moon expansion onwards, but this blog post states that GLC’s rules include any card from the Black and White series onwards (with the exception of some banned cards).

The other Trainer Trials formats seek to highlight the less competitively viable cards in other ways, such as using the Expanded card pool but only allowing common or uncommon cards. As well as this new way to play and the implementation of standard rotation, there are more quality-of-life changes coming. After March 27, 2025, you’ll be able to mute your opponent’s avatar, turn off the match timer in friendly matches, and try out the reworked ranked ladder.

That’s the lowdown on Pokémon TCG Live’s Trainer Trials. If, somehow, none of these changes interest you, you can check out the Pokémon TCG Pocket new packs to bask in the glory of shiny Pokémon there, instead.