Before Mega Rayquaza ex touches down in Pokémon TCG Pocket tomorrow, the app needs a significant tune-up — and tonight is when you should get it done. The Pokémon Company has confirmed that a 3.5 GB mandatory update drops on 29 July 2026, and failing to grab it over Wi-Fi tonight means you could be staring at a loading bar when the Ruler of the Skies packs go live at 9 AM SGT tomorrow.
A 3.5 GB Update — But Your App Won’t Balloon in Size
The update is the largest single patch Pokémon TCG Pocket has seen since launch, but The Pokémon Company has been quick to clarify what it actually means for your device. The 3.5 GB download is an upgrade to the game’s underlying development environment (Unity) — existing data files are overwritten rather than stacked on top, so your total app footprint won’t grow by the full 3.5 GB. Think of it less as new content and more as replacing the engine block while keeping the bodywork.
That said, 3.5 GB is still a chunky download on a mobile connection. The developers explicitly recommend queuing the update over Wi-Fi tonight to avoid data charges and to make sure you’re not scrambling during tomorrow morning’s expansion launch window.
36 Free Pack Hourglasses — Don’t Miss the Claim Window
In appreciation for the inconvenience, The Pokémon Company is handing out 36 Pack Hourglasses to all players. You’ll find them waiting in your Gifts menu once you’ve installed the update. The claim deadline is 30 August 2026, so you have a month to remember to tap the button — but you do need to update first, so don’t procrastinate.
Thirty-six hourglasses is meaningful. Each hourglass accelerates the pack-opening timer by one hour, so the bundle shaves 36 hours off your wait — essentially a free pack’s worth of hourglasses for the new expansion’s launch window.
What’s Waiting on the Other Side: Ruler of the Skies
Once the update is installed and the hourglasses are in your pocket, the Ruler of the Skies expansion opens for business at 9 AM SGT on 30 July. Headlining the set is Mega Rayquaza ex — a 180 HP Basic with the Mega Burst attack (discard all Fire and Lightning Energy attached, deal 50 damage per Energy discarded). Alongside it come Mega Metagross ex, Mega Gallade ex, and limited-event-exclusive Mega Houndoom ex and Mega Lucario ex.
The expansion also ships with a revamped pull guarantee and the new deck-sharing system via 2D pattern codes — all covered in our full expansion guide. For tonight: connect to Wi-Fi, let the 3.5 GB update run, and wake up ready to open packs. Check out our other game news coverage for ongoing Pocket updates.