Japanese developer DeNA will receive 1.5 billion yen in government subsidies to support development of Pokémon TCG Pocket and other mobile properties. The funding comes through the IP360 program run by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The subsidies aim to help create new domestic intellectual properties and strengthen Japan's global content industry. DeNA is not a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company, although the latter holds a 33.4 percent stake in a related DeNA entity that was rebranded as Pokémon Card D Studio in 2024.
Social media users in Japan have criticized the move. They point out that public budgets for museums and galleries are being reduced while a profitable private company receives support.
Some developers in the industry say smaller studios often struggle to obtain large funding because of the risk of failing to meet obligations if projects encounter problems. The announcement has renewed discussion about how such programs should allocate resources.