Pokémon TCG Pocket Wins the Apple App Store Awards 2025

The Pokémon Company has officially conquered the mobile gaming landscape, with its smash hit Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket being named the iPhone Game of the Year. In a year packed with strong contenders, the digital card collector rose above a crowded field of 45 finalists, including titles like Capybara Go! and Thronefall, to secure the top spot. App Store editors highlights the game’s amazing artwork as  the factor in its victory, praising developers Creatures Inc. and DeNA for delivering the most polished evolution of the franchise's card-collecting phenomenon to date.

This victory at the Apple App Store Awards 2025 highlights the massive financial and critical success the game has achieved since its release. The numbers surrounding Pokémon TCG Pocket are nothing short of staggering. While the game saw rapid interest immediately upon its late 2024 launch, amassing over 30 million downloads in just its first two weeks, it has since grown into a global juggernaut. 

By October 2025, downloads had soared to over 150M worldwide. Financially, the title has been equally dominant, with data indicating it has generated $1.3 billion USD in the first year. Apple’s editorial team commended the game for how successfully it translates the physical thrill of opening booster packs into a seamless mobile format. According to the official announcement, the title stood out for its artwork, fast-paced battles, and an interface perfectly tailored for the iPhone. 

The virtual version of the Pokémon trading card game, with faster and simplified gameplay, has proven to be very popular. This innovation, combined with the nostalgia of collecting icons like Charizard and Mewtwo, helped elevate the experience beyond a standard card game, appealing to both casual collectors and hardcore fans alike.

Excellence Across the Apple Ecosystem

While Pokémon TCG Pocket stole the show on the iPhone, the awards recognized a broader sweep of gaming excellence across Apple’s ecosystem. Black Salt Games’ atmospheric horror fishing adventure, DREDGE, took home the iPad Game of the Year award. Although it originally launched on consoles in 2023, its iOS debut is in early 2025.

Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition was recognized as the Mac Game of the Year, proving that triple-A experiences are finding a home on Apple silicon. In other categories, Porta Nubi by Michael Temper won for Apple Vision Pro, and What The Clash? by Triband ApS secured the win for Apple Arcade Game of the Year.

Beyond the major platform winners, Apple also used the occasion to highlight games that drive meaningful change through its Cultural Impact awards. 

Rather than selecting a single winner, Apple honored six games that promoted understanding and inclusivity: Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser, a puzzle game praised for accessible design; Chants of Sennar by Playdigious, which explores the complexities of language; and Despelote by Panic, Inc., a slice-of-life game about soccer and camaraderie, and more. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook congratulated all the winners, noting that they represent the creativity and excellence that define the App Store.