Sorry, Guys, We’re Making Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering for the Girls Now
On the 2025 Oscars red carpet on Sunday night, we all collectively drooled over the hidden pockets in Mckenna Grace’s dress. However, the real secret was what she had stuffed in them: multiple Pokémon card packs that she was itching to open and see what she’d pulled. Not only did she bring card sleeves to keep her big pulls safe, she managed to show off a respectable pull of Lily’s Clefairy Ex foil card. A gorgeous add to any collection and…it totally matched her pink gown.It seems like lately all the cool girls are obsessed with trading card games. A few weeks ago, Team USA gold medalists Amber Glenn and Alyssa Liu opened up Magic: The Gathering cards during the Games. Amber even pulled them as she walked in during the Games’ closing ceremony. Trading card games have long been ruined by men who think they’re “just for the guys” and scalpers who think they’re more about making money instead of the love of the game.These small moments reminded me how much I loved Yu-Gi-Oh! when I was younger. But I quit after middle school because I wasn’t taken seriously enough as a gamer. A boy once even assumed I cheated him out on a card after beating him fair and square in a duel. Although I can indulge in my other nerdy hobbies—video games and anime—in private and on Tumblr and Fanfiction.net, these games require other people to play. Back when I was too young to go to card shops by myself, I decided to “retire” and stop playing altogether.View full post on TikTokBut now Pokémon Pokopia is one of the highest-ranking games of all time, and thanks to Critical Role and Dimension 20, more women are showing their love for other nerdy fare like Dungeons & Dragons. We’re finally reclaiming this space and it feels long overdue, especially considering how many of my longtime friends finally feel like they can openly share about the hobbies they once felt like they had to hide in order to be taken seriously.There’s a big culture shift happening right now. Nerdy things are becoming more popular (even Megan Thee Stallion loves anime) and media aimed at women—like romance—is being taken seriously (ahem, Heated Rivalry). Lady Gaga is singing with Jigglypuff in a Super Bowl commercial as part of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. Barbara Sprouse can’t stop dressing up as her favorite anime characters for Halloween. Even Hello Kitty is making an appearance in Formula 1 in partnership with Formula 1 Academy as more women become obsessed with the sport.It’s a relief to see these spaces finally recognize that we are legit consumers who are ready to spend our hard-earned money on a brand-new Switch 2 in order to see what the hype around a new game is all about. There’s one girl who is on the hunt for every Erika’s Invitation Pokémon card. Recently, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks (Hasbro is the parent company to Magic: The Gathering’s Wizards of the Coast) said of the card game’s future, “Don’t be surprised if you see us poking into romantasy; don’t be surprised if you see us looking at K-Pop bands—nothing is off the table.” Clearly, there’s money in women’s hobbies.When she got home from the Olympics, Amber Glenn got to unbox some special goodies from Magic: The Gathering creators Wizards of the Coast, including some new packs. She’s inspired me to dust off my old binders filled with cards to see if I still remember how to play. Like it or not, the TCG girls are here and we’re ready to take you all on.
