Pokemon TCG Pocket's 3.5 GB Update Lands July 29: Free Hourglasses, QR Deck Sharing, and the Ruler of the Skies Launch
Pokemon TCG Pocket gets one of its biggest updates ever on July 29: a 3.5 GB Unity engine migration, 36 free pack hourglasses, and QR code deck sharing, all timed to the Ruler of the Skies launch. Here is what to expect and why paper Rayquaza collectors should care.
Set Aside Some Wi-Fi Time on Wednesday
Pokemon TCG Pocket players have a bigger download than usual coming. Creatures Inc. and DeNA have confirmed that the app receives a 3.5 GB update on Wednesday, July 29 — one of the largest single updates in the game's history — arriving the same day the new Ruler of the Skies expansion goes live with Mega Rayquaza ex at the top of the chase.
The headline reason for the size: the developers are migrating the game to the latest version of the Unity engine. That is invisible plumbing for most players, but it is the kind of investment a studio makes in an app it expects to support for years — worth noting for anyone tracking how seriously the Pokemon Company treats its 100-million-download digital card game.
What You Get for Your Patience
- 36 pack hourglasses free. Once the update is installed, players can claim 36 pack hourglasses as a thank-you — that is six full packs of pulls. The reward must be claimed by Sunday, August 30, 2026, so do not sit on it.
- QR code deck sharing. The update adds the ability to share decks via scannable 2D codes, a feature pulled straight from the physical TCG playbook. Expect content creators to start publishing scannable deck lists immediately.
- No extra storage hit. The download overwrites existing data rather than stacking on top of it, so the app footprint stays roughly the same. Still, 3.5 GB is 3.5 GB — get on Wi-Fi.
The Bigger Picture: A Coordinated Rayquaza Takeover
The timing here is no accident. Ruler of the Skies drops in Pocket on July 29, Japan gets the physical Storm Emeralda set on July 31, and the English Delta Reign expansion follows in November — all built around Mega Rayquaza. The digital launch is the opening act of a five-month, cross-platform push.
For collectors of the physical game, that matters for one simple reason: Pocket has repeatedly proven it can move paper prices. When tens of millions of app players spend August pulling Mega Rayquaza ex on their phones, some meaningful slice of them goes looking for the cardboard version. Vintage and modern Rayquaza chase cards have already been among 2026's strongest movers, and this update window is the on-ramp.
Practical tip: if you have been considering any physical Rayquaza pickups, watch how the card performs in Pocket's meta during the first week of August. Digital playability has become a real leading indicator for paper demand in the Mega era.