10 Times Video Games STOLE From Fans
1. Pokémon TCG Pocket – “New Art Coming Soon”
Pokémon is one of the most beloved, polished franchises in gaming - so when something this lazy shows up, it’s more than a little shocking. In early 2024, Pokémon TCG Pocket launched as a digital card game spin-off. But instead of wowing players with shiny new cards and collector-friendly artwork, some users were treated to cards that literally just said “New art coming soon.”
That’s right. In a franchise that has made billions off beautiful, nostalgic card designs, a major update for Pokémon TCG Pocket launched with blank placeholders.
Days before the release of the Wisdom Of The Sea And Sky set in July 2025, the community discovered that some of the actual art that had made it into the game had been plagiarized from fan artists online. Multiple pieces were direct traces or repaints of DeviantArt and Twitter uploads, with zero credit given. The developers eventually acknowledged the mistake and began replacing the art… but by then, the damage was done. Screenshots of the placeholder cards went viral, as did comparisons between the fan originals and the knockoffs.
Fans were left wondering: how does a company as powerful as The Pokémon Company - with access to thousands of talented artists - resort to placeholder cards and traced art in an official product? It felt like a slap in the face to both artists and fans, especially in a medium where visual design is everything.