D23 2024, the big Disney fan convention, has come and gone and the biggest news for me was that Nine Inch Nails is doing the Tron: Ares soundtrack. Oh, and also that Lorcana is now, officially, a year old. It’s hard to believe that just a year ago we were out here hustling for booster packs, fighting rapacious scalpers, paying way too much for singles (still crying over my $40 a pop Belle Strange but Specials), and exploring this Whole New World. At the big D23 Lorcana event, the success of the game was made pretty evident by design lead Ryan Miller, who reported that over 1 billion Lorcana cards have sold, 100,000 players have participated in regular organized play, and over 76,000 events have been held worldwide. These are tremendous numbers- like, Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon numbers. Which seats Lorcana in the rarified strata of TCGs that have officially blown up. ¡
To say it’s been wild ride is an understatement. From the big D23 promos from last year, which now command thousands of dollars to the madness of the GenCon release, on through the incredibly fraught release of Rise of the Floodborn and the messy set championships on to the victory lap that the new set Shimmering Skies seems to suggest what with all those Sugar Rush racers on board, Lorcana has definitely had plenty of ups and downs in just one short year. It’s been crazy to see the game shift and twist as it grows in real time- for better or worse.
Reflecting back on how much different playing the game today is from how it was back in late 2023, I can’t say that I don’t dearly miss those early, frontier days when the game had a certain naivete, when the game was attract a very diverse crowd like I’d never seen for any hobby game. The early league events I attended were huge, with upwards of 80 players and the stereotypical white 18-30 year old male gamer was the minority. People of any ethnicity, ages, identities, orientations, and lifestyles came together to see what these cards were all about. People who had never played any hobby game before were showing up for Elsa and Mickey. As time has gone on and the game has officially become a Hobby Gaming Concern some of that diversity and spirit at organized has been lost, replaced by hyper-competitiveness and a sometimes oppressive meta that can turn less experienced players away.
It’s really inevitable that this would happen as it has with other successful card games, and for those who are keyed into the more competitive, “serious” TCG scene those folks are absolutely feasting. With the introduction of the regular championship games and exclusive prizes like those coveted playmats and special cards along with locally-organized 1k, 5k, and 10k tournaments with huge prizing – let alone an upcoming World Championship at Walt Disney World with a 1 of 1 golden Mickey card as the trophy – the game could not be better situated for those that are more interested in competing than building a deck around Goofy, Knight for Day.
I’m one of those casual slobs myself, as I’ve reiterated here in this column repeatedly but I have to say that as a filthy casual I’ve been continually delighted by the Ravenburger Team’s deep cuts into Disneyana. I’ve never seen Robin Hood, one of my most beloved Disney films, get so much love. I squealed with the Duck Tales crew was brought on board. I squealed again but in a very muted way (because it’s so far away) to hear that Pocahontas and Pixar are coming in 2026. I’ve been thrilled by the fun takes on favorite characters and the imagination of the excellent artists that have brought the Lorcana world to life.
Collectors are also in the catbird seat with this game. Many cards are very valuable, and I’ve been surprised to see how well values have held up for the most part, aside from my $40 Belles. We’ve come along way from the $100 Rapunzels and Elsas, and most Legendaries are settling at reasonable prices. Enchanteds are still the big chase cards for the serious collector and having pulled (checking notes) absolutely zero of them myself, I still aspire to one day finally pull whatever the current worst Enchanted is out of a pack because you know that’s how it’s going to down. Card volumes are up, so even limited product like the big D23 set that released at the show this year are getting into the hands of collectors rather than scalpers, which is great to see. And with Shimmering Skies the new Enchanted printing style looks better than ever with stunning treatments that ensure that some of these cards are going to be desirable for years to come.
Above everything, I’ve especially loved sharing this game with my family and enjoying the time spent looking for cards, opening packs, building decks, and playing both at home and in the shops. The game remains imminently accessible if you steer clear of the big competitive tournaments and many league events are still very welcoming and accommodating. One of the things that really struck me up front about Lorcana is that it’s simply a fun to play game that anyone can enjoy, and even though we’ve had Locations and a couple of new mechanics introduced, it remains straightforward, cleanly designed, and approachable.
I love to see great work in the gaming industry rewarded, and with Lorcana Ryan Miller and his team deserve a round of applause, if not a standing ovation, for getting this game to market and maintaining the momentum. There have been some misteps for sure (pipe down, Bucky) but it isn’t often that a TCG takes off like this and that is absolutely to be celebrated with as many fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle as possible.
Next time- What I want to see in Year 2!
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