Hit smartphone game Pokémon TCG Pocket has today unveiled its replacement Ho-Oh and Lugia artwork, after previously apologising for a “production issue” that saw the game add cards based on a fan design.
The updated card art for Ho-Oh and Lugia’s immersive variants can now be seen within Pokémon TCG Pocket, replacing the temporary artwork the game hurriedly switched to last week as fan complaints boiled over, and the game’s developer was forced to subsequently appeal for calm.
Intriguingly, the new Ho-Oh and Lugia artwork is once again credited to artist Sie Nanahara, who also created the previous, now-removed designs.
In an earlier statement, Pokémon TCG Pocket’s development team spoke out after fans began hounding Nanahara over the incident, and said players should not be “attacking or slandering” the artist. Explaining the situation further, the developer said Nanahara had simply created artwork based on designs provided (and incorrectly approved) by the studio itself. Today’s fresh set of designs from Nanahara signals a further act of support.
“As many players are aware, the immersive Ho-Oh ex (3-Star) and Lugia ex (3-Star) cards from the Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion currently feature placeholder illustrations,” the game’s developer said in a statement posted to social media this morning.
“As an update, players can look forward to new illustrations for these cards being releaed in-game within the coming hours. Thank you to our community for your continued patience and support.”
Last month, fans spotted that Pokémon TCG Pocket’s original Ho-Oh ex card looked to have been traced from a design created back in 2021 by fan artist lanjiujiu. The artist even posted comparison images, showing their creation lined up with the artwork from Pokémon TCG Pocket’s new Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion, which featured Ho-Oh in exactly the same pose.
A second card, featuring Ho-Oh’s companion legendary Pokémon Lugia, was also impacted — as its immersive design includes the same artwork of Ho-Oh in the background.
The episode has raised wider questions over The Pokémon Company’s legal right to use fanart within official products — though the swift reaction here suggests that the corporation feels this is something it wants to avoid.
Earlier this week, fans suggested another Pokémon TCG Pocket card design featuring Ultra Beast Buzzwole also looks similar to unofficial artwork, though others aren’t as convinced this instance amounts to plagiarism.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
