The official Pokémon TCG Live Twitter (X) account has revealed that starting next Tuesday, November 3, 2026, players will be able to challenge their friends to Expanded format matches, in addition to Standard. It is strange that such a basic feature was left out for so long, but it is a good sign for the future of Expanded.
Note that the Expanded format on TCG Live remains, for now, Sun & Moon-on, as most cards from the Black & White and XY eras are not yet implemented ingame. This "pseudo-Expanded" format (also known as "Beta Expanded" in the Japanese community) differs significantly from the real Expanded format, due to the lack of staple cards such as VS Seeker, Trainers' Mail and Float Stone, as well as power cards like Double Dragon Energy, Sky Field, and Battle Compressor. Some powerful Expanded decks can be adapted to that format, but I have no plans to feature decklists for TCG Live's Sun & Moon-on Expanded format on Dowsing Machine.
While challenging friends to games might not seem particularly notable, this change will make it possible to run pseudo-Expanded tournaments online through platforms such as Play Limitless. The organizer of the Wild Area tournaments, for example, has already announced plans to run a larger tournament, as it is much easier for players to play games on TCG Live than on unofficial simulators such as Twinleaf. If these online events get attention, it could hopefully bring more players around the world interested in Expanded when the full format is eventually added to TCG Live.