Tag Archives: Trading Card Game

NARUTO CARD GAME First Look: Rules, CHARACTER Cards, and a Kishimoto Illustration Revealed at Gen Con 2026

Bandai Card Games has finally shown how the NARUTO CARD GAME actually plays. Timed to the game’s first public appearance at Gen Con 2026 (30 July – 2 August, Indianapolis), the official website went live with the first rules breakdown and a set of sample CHARACTER cards — our clearest look yet at what to expect when the game launches worldwide in Summer 2027.

We covered the initial announcement back in June — Bandai’s NARUTO CARD GAME reveal — when the game was confirmed but no gameplay details had been shared. That changes today.

NARUTO CARD GAME official key visual featuring Naruto and Sasuke, “Arriving in 2027”
The NARUTO CARD GAME arrives worldwide in Summer 2027. © Bandai Card Games / ©2002 Masashi Kishimoto / ©2007 Shippuden All Rights Reserved.

How the Deck Works

Each player’s deck is built from three distinct components:

  • 51 main deck cards — your battle hand of CHARACTER and other card types
  • 5 Chakra cards — a separate resource pool that powers your moves
  • 1 Summon card — a powerful additional card set aside from the main deck

The Chakra card pool sits outside the main deck and serves as both a resource system and a life point mechanic — a design that puts Chakra management at the heart of every decision.

CHARACTER Cards: The Shinobi Roster

The first wave of sample cards revealed at Gen Con showcases Special-rarity CHARACTER cards with three core stats: DMG (Damage), POW (Power), and HP (Hit Points). The initial set draws from the original Naruto series, with four characters confirmed so far:

Naruto Uzumaki CHARACTER card — Special / Hidden Leaf Village
Naruto Uzumaki — Special / Hidden Leaf Village
Sasuke Uchiha CHARACTER card — Special / Hidden Leaf Village
Sasuke Uchiha — Special / Hidden Leaf Village
Jiraiya CHARACTER card — Special / Hidden Leaf Village
Jiraiya — Special / Hidden Leaf Village
Orochimaru CHARACTER card — Special / The Legendary Sannin / Village Hidden in the Sound
Orochimaru — The Legendary Sannin / Village Hidden in the Sound

The art direction mixes full-colour illustration with manga panel collages, giving each card a distinct visual identity. Special rarity cards in particular show striking holographic treatments across the character art.

Masashi Kishimoto’s Special Illustration

Masashi Kishimoto’s hand-drawn illustration of Naruto and Sasuke holding NARUTO CARD GAME cards
Masashi Kishimoto drew this special illustration of Naruto and Sasuke for the NARUTO CARD GAME. © Bandai Card Games / ©Masashi Kishimoto Scott/Shueisha.

Creator Masashi Kishimoto contributed a specially drawn illustration of Naruto and Sasuke holding NARUTO CARD GAME cards — the image was shared alongside the Gen Con reveal as part of the official launch materials. Bandai Card Games noted Kishimoto’s personal enthusiasm for the project.

Official First Look Trailer

Gen Con and Beyond: The Event Roadmap

Gen Con 2026 marks the game’s first hands-on public appearance. Bandai Card Games has confirmed additional stops on an international event circuit, with PAX Australia listed in the roadmap. A full global rollout is targeted for Summer 2027.

No Singapore-specific retailer or distributor has been announced at this stage. We’ll update as regional details surface.

One Piece Card Game Launches 6 New Starter Decks — The Friendliest Way Into OPTCG Yet

The One Piece Card Game just got its most beginner-friendly entry point yet. Six brand-new starter decks — ST-31 through ST-36 — dropped in Japan on 11 July 2026, each built around a fan-favourite character and colour, with the English version set to hit shelves on 31 July 2026. If you have been on the fence about jumping into OPTCG, this is the most straightforward on-ramp Bandai has ever made.

One Piece Card Game ST-31 Red Monkey D. Luffy starter deck box
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

Six Decks, Six Icons — Pick Your Colour

Bandai has lined up six decks that together cover every major colour in the game’s current meta palette. Each deck is named after a single leader character and leans into that character’s signature combat style:

  • ST-31 (Red) — Monkey D. Luffy: A fast mono-red aggro deck built around Gear 5 Luffy’s effect of attaching rested DON!! cards to characters and overwhelming opponents with Straw Hat Crew power.
  • ST-32 (Green) — Roronoa Zoro: A control-flavoured green deck leaning on Zoro’s endurance and precise timing to outmanoeuvre opponents over a longer game.
  • ST-33 (Blue) — Kuzan: A blue deck revolving around Kuzan (Aokiji), the former Marine Admiral, focused on manipulation and freezing the board state.
  • ST-34 (Purple) — Charlotte Katakuri: A purple deck inspired by Katakuri’s foresight, rewarding players who can read the game and set up multi-turn chains.
  • ST-35 (Red/Black) — Sabo: The only dual-colour deck in the set. Sabo bridges the aggressive power of red with black’s resource disruption, giving new players a taste of multi-colour play without overwhelming complexity.
  • ST-36 (Yellow) — Eustass Kid: A yellow control deck for players who prefer grinding the opponent down and punishing overextension.
One Piece Card Game ST-32 Green Zoro starter deck contents with cards
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

What’s Inside Each Deck

Every box in the ST-31 to ST-36 range contains the same core set of components:

  • 1 pre-constructed deck of 51 cards (15 unique types)
  • 1 Leader Card and 10 DON!! cards
  • 1 Playsheet (the printed play mat insert for teaching the game)
  • 1 bonus booster pack from OP-16, giving you a taste of the wider card pool

Each deck also includes 5 brand-new cards not previously released, meaning even established players have a reason to pick these up for the fresh additions to the card pool. The remaining slots are reprints of key cards from earlier sets, chosen to teach each colour’s core mechanics.

Sample cards from the One Piece Card Game ST-31 Red Luffy starter deck
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

Simple Enough for Day One, Ready for the Locals Table

Bandai has specifically designed the ST-31 to ST-36 leader effects to be straightforward — no multi-step triggers, no conditional on-attack effects that require a rulebook check every turn. The intent is that a completely new player can open a box and understand what their leader does within minutes of reading the card.

That said, these are not throwaway products. Each deck’s 5 new cards are being integrated into the current competitive meta, and the ST-35 Sabo dual-colour build in particular has drawn early attention from the OPTCG community as potentially having genuine tournament legs once players figure out the optimal builds around it.

The decks are rated for ages 9 and up on the Japanese packaging, but the actual game has always attracted a broad adult player base here in Singapore — these starter decks are simply a smarter entry point, not a step down in quality.

Beginners Deck Party 2026 — Your First Tournament Starts 31 July

Bandai is pairing the English launch with a dedicated tournament format. The Beginners Deck Party 2026 runs from 31 July to 30 August 2026 at participating local game stores, and the rules are simple: all players must use one of the six ST-31 to ST-36 starter decks, unmodified. No custom builds, no expensive singles — just the box you buy at the counter.

That levels the playing field completely and means your skill at reading the deck — not your collection depth — decides who wins. Both participation prizes and winner prizes come in the form of exclusive card packs, each featuring one card across six different designs tied to the deck series.

One Piece Card Game Beginners Deck Party 2026 Participation Pack sample card
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

To find a participating store near you, register through the Bandai TCG+ app, which lists local venues once store applications open on 17 July 2026.

Where Singapore Players Can Get These Decks

The Japanese versions are available right now. At least one local retailer — SC Collection at Orchard Towers — has been stocking the Japanese edition at SGD $12 per deck. Stock on the Japanese run tends to move quickly, so if you want a specific colour before the English release, it is worth checking with major game retailers and card gaming shops now.

For those who prefer the English version, the ST-31 to ST-36 decks land internationally on 31 July 2026. SGD retail pricing for the English edition has not been formally announced, but based on historical OPTCG starter deck pricing in Singapore, expect them to land in the SGD $12–16 range at local game retailers and online hobby stores — pricing to be confirmed closer to launch.

Whether you are a longtime One Piece fan who has been curious about the card game, or a lapsed TCG player looking for a low-stakes way back into competitive play, the ST-31 to ST-36 wave is the clearest answer Bandai has given yet. Check out our manga and anime coverage for more One Piece and OPTCG news as it drops.

Pokémon TCG Pitch Black: Mega Darkrai ex Arrives 17 July

Pre-release weekend is almost here: Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black opens its Build & Battle events at Play! Pokémon partner stores from 4 July, with the global release following on 17 July 2026. Leading the expansion is Mega Darkrai ex — a 280-HP Darkness-type whose signature move can instantly knock out any opponent caught in a special condition, a mechanic already reshaping the Japanese competitive scene since the equivalent set “Abyss Eye” dropped there on 22 May.

Official Abyss Eye / Pitch Black expansion announcement (Japanese) — via ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネル on YouTube

Mega Darkrai ex Makes Its TCG Debut

Pokemon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black booster pack featuring Mega Darkrai ex
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Pitch Black is the fifth set in the Mega Evolution TCG era, which runs alongside the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC. Mega Darkrai ex (280 HP) carries two attacks: a damage-scaling first move that punishes Pokémon with damage counters on your bench, and “Abyss Eye” — a three-Energy attack that instantly knocks out the opponent’s Active Pokémon if it is Confused, Burned, Poisoned, or otherwise in a special condition. Paired with the new Black Bell Trainer card — which inflicts Confusion on two of your opponent’s Pokémon at once — the combo has already been a staple of the Japanese “Abyss Eye” format since that set’s 22 May launch.

Joining Mega Darkrai ex are five more Mega Evolution Pokémon ex: Mega Zeraora ex (Lightning), Mega Slowbro ex (Psychic), Mega Chandelure ex (Psychic), and Mega Excadrill ex (Metal). Singapore collectors already importing from Japan have a head start on knowing the pool — the English Pitch Black set mirrors Abyss Eye’s card list with localised text.

What Is Inside the Pitch Black Expansion?

Mega Darkrai ex and Malamar cards from the Pitch Black Pokemon TCG expansion
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Pitch Black carries over 115 cards in total, including regular Pokémon ex such as Wailord ex, Morpeko ex, Lurantis ex, Tapu Koko ex, and Rampardos ex. Collectors hunting the full set will be targeting:

  • 11 Illustration Rare Pokémon cards
  • 18 Ultra Rare Pokémon and Trainer cards
  • 6 Special Illustration Rare Pokémon and Supporter cards, including a SIR variant of Mega Chandelure ex

Mega Darkrai ex (card 048 in the Japanese set) has already driven elevated secondary market prices in Japan, with the SIR and special art variants leading interest. English singles are expected to follow suit once supply unlocks after the 17 July global release.

Pre-Release Events: Open Packs Early from 4 July

Play! Pokémon partner stores worldwide can sell Pitch Black Build & Battle Boxes from 4 July through 12 July 2026, giving players a full pre-release window before the official launch. Each Build & Battle Box includes four Pitch Black booster packs, a ready-to-play 40-card deck, and one of four exclusive foil promo cards: Dhelmise, Slowbro, Miraidon, or Bastiodon.

Pre-release events are a relaxed store-format entry point where everyone opens packs and battles with brand-new cards simultaneously — a good time whether you are a competitive player or picking up the set for the first time. Check with your local card shop on whether they are a registered Play! Pokémon venue and whether pre-registration is required, as slots fill quickly for high-demand sets. For more on the Mega Evolution TCG era, see our Game News archive.

Products and Singapore Availability

The Pitch Black product wave at launch includes individual booster packs, three-pack blisters, a six-pack Booster Bundle, the Build & Battle Box, and the Elite Trainer Box. A Pokémon Center exclusive ETB is also part of the lineup. The set releases globally on 17 July, and local availability is expected at major game retailers and card shops in Singapore around the same date — SGD pricing is to be confirmed once local stock details are announced.

Given Mega Darkrai ex’s strong competitive potential and the Mega Evolution series’ consistent sell-through in Singapore, the Elite Trainer Box is the safest balanced buy for players who want pull opportunities and tournament supplies together. Those chasing SIR cards may prefer waiting for the English singles market to settle in the first week post-launch.

Mega Rayquaza Returns to the Pokémon TCG — Storm Emeralda Drops 31 July in Japan

Mega Rayquaza is coming back to the Pokémon Trading Card Game in a big way. The Pokémon Company has officially announced Storm Emeralda (ストームエメラルダ), the next expansion pack in the Pokémon Card Game MEGA product line, and it puts one of the franchise’s most iconic Legendaries front and centre.

【公式】「ポケモンカードゲーム」『ポケポケ』にメガレックウザ登場! — via ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネル on YouTube

What Is Storm Emeralda?

Storm Emeralda is the latest expansion in the Pokémon Card Game MEGA series — Japan’s current product line that brings Mega Evolution mechanics back to the physical TCG. The set releases in Japan on 31 July 2026 and features Mega Rayquaza ex (メガレックウザex) as its headline card, bringing the Sky High Pokémon into the modern Pokémon Card Game era.

Each booster pack contains 5 cards at ¥200 (tax included), with the full set spanning 76+ card types. Alongside the main expansion, three Mega Starter Sets also launch on 31 July, each built around a fan-favourite Pokémon:

  • Sprigatito & Meowscarada ex Mega Starter Set
  • Eevee ex Mega Starter Set
  • Zorua & Zoroark ex Mega Starter Set
Storm Emeralda official key visual featuring Mega Rayquaza
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The Summer Campaign: Mega Rayquaza Soaring Through the Sky

The launch is part of a wider summer campaign called 宙駆けるメガレックウザ (“Mega Rayquaza Soaring Through the Sky”), where The Pokémon Company plans for fans to encounter Mega Rayquaza at various locations across Japan this summer. Campaign details and venue listings are up on the official campaign site (Japanese).

Pokémon TCG Pocket Gets Mega Rayquaza Too

If you play Pokémon TCG Pocket on mobile, good news: Mega Rayquaza is landing there as well. The expansion 天空の支配者 (“Ruler of the Sky”) adds Mega Rayquaza to the app on 30 July 2026, one day before the physical set drops in Japan. Both launches are tied to the same Mega Rayquaza campaign.

Mega Rayquaza official illustration from The Pokemon Company
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

When Can Singapore Fans Get Storm Emeralda?

No Singapore retail date has been confirmed, but the international rollout currently looks like this:

  • 30 July 2026 — Pokémon TCG Pocket “Ruler of the Sky” expansion (global app)
  • 31 July 2026 — Japan physical release (¥200/pack, importable)
  • 7 August 2026 — Taiwan and Hong Kong regional release
  • 6 November 2026 — English release as Pokémon TCG: Delta Reign

Singapore TCG players who want Japanese booster boxes early can expect local import stores and online sellers to stock them within a couple of weeks of the Japan launch. The English Delta Reign set will be the competitive-legal version for most local tournaments and typically carries a Singapore retail price — watch for pre-orders from local card shops closer to November.

You can check out more Pokémon TCG news and shop and merch updates on the blog.

Last Words

Mega Rayquaza holds a special place in the Pokémon fandom — its Ruby and Sapphire lore, dramatic Mega Evolution design, and years of competitive dominance make it one of those Legendaries that never really goes out of style. Storm Emeralda gives Singapore collectors three months’ notice before the English Delta Reign lands, which is plenty of time to decide whether to hunt Japanese boxes or wait for the English set. Either way, the Mega Starter Sets (Meowscarada, Eevee, Zoroark) look like a smart entry point for newer players joining for the hype. Keep an eye on local card shops — pre-orders for import boxes tend to go fast.

NARUTO Card Game Is Coming in 2027 — Bandai’s Newest TCG Revealed

Bandai Card Games has officially announced the NARUTO CARD GAME, a brand-new strategy-focused trading card game set in Masashi Kishimoto’s beloved ninja world — and it is coming to players worldwide in 2027.

NARUTO CARD GAME – Official Teaser Trailer — via IGN on YouTube

What Is the NARUTO CARD GAME?

Built by BANDAI CARD GAMES — the same brand behind the Dragon Ball Super Card Game and Digimon Card Game — the NARUTO CARD GAME is designed as a strategy-first competitive TCG. Full details on card mechanics, deck construction, and rarity tiers are held until 29 July 2026, the day before its first public playable event. What is confirmed is that this is a proper standalone TCG, not a collectible set, targeting the competitive card game audience.

NARUTO, the manga by Masashi Kishimoto, ran for 700 chapters and now sits at over 250 million copies in circulation worldwide. The franchise is one of the defining properties of Singapore’s ACG scene, and a dedicated competitive TCG has been a long time coming for fans here.

World Debut at Gen Con 2026

The game makes its global playable debut at Gen Con 2026 (30 July – 2 August, Indianapolis). Bandai is running free beginner Tutorial Sessions at the event, complete with demo decks. Attendees can also score the limited CP-001 Chakra Card promotional version, an exclusive backpack, a sticker, and a purchase ticket for the official playmat. Registration for tutorial slots opens on 21 June via the Gen Con website.

Kishimoto Sends a Message

Kishimoto commemorative illustration for the NARUTO CARD GAME announcement
Image courtesy of Bandai Card Games

Series creator Masashi Kishimoto offered a personal message alongside the reveal, as quoted in the official press release: “I’m glad to see the world of NARUTO grow larger once again. I truly hope these cards find their way to both your hands and your hearts.” A commemorative illustration accompanies the announcement.

What Singapore Players Should Watch For

Bandai Card Games products have a solid retail footprint in Singapore. The Digimon Card Game and Dragon Ball Super Card Game both support active local communities, with singles available at hobby stores across the island. It is reasonable to expect the NARUTO CARD GAME to follow a similar Southeast Asian distribution path — but no local retail or tournament roadmap has been announced yet.

Stay tuned via the official X account (@narutotcg_en) and the official website. The next major info drop is 29 July, when card designs, gameplay systems, and the full product roadmap will be revealed.

Last words

For Singapore’s ACG community, this is exactly the kind of announcement that gets card players talking. Naruto shaped a generation of anime fans here, and a properly competitive TCG treatment from Bandai — the house that made Digimon and Dragon Ball viable in local hobby stores — is worth getting genuinely excited about. Mark 29 July in your calendar for the full card reveal, and check out our other game news while you wait.