While board games are at the heart of Gen Con, our annual convention offers up so much more for the hungry, nerdy soul. We’re introducing a new blog series for you, featuring all things beyond games at Gen Con.
Today, this blog post focuses on Trading Card Games and Tournaments by Professor Walt.
As kids, do you remember begging your parents to buy you a pack of cards from the store? Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! maybe even Magic: The Gathering. In the year 2024, we are well past the big 3. As the years went on and we grew up and possibly out of the hobby, the realm of trading card games has boomed. Many games have come and gone (please, someone reboot Chaotic and/or Duel Masters). However, it truly feels like we are entering a renaissance with the number of options for games out there, and this was something displayed at this year’s Gen Con.
Hello! My name is Walt and I’m a TCG Enthusiast from Cincinnati, Ohio. While many of the attendees of Gen Con are carrying around backpacks full of board games or pieces for tabletop gaming, I am walking around with binders and decks, ready to play and trade all weekend. Gen Con is a place where all aspects of trading card games meet.
You’re able to be competitive and participate in tournaments with amazing prizes. You’re able to learn new games and get a feel before committing to a purchase. If you’re more into collecting, not only are there a number of places in the exhibit hall to find that one card you’ve been searching for, but you may even be able to meet the artist and get it signed! We really got to see the TCG space in a new light for this year’s event and there was so much to do and see!
eBay was handing out their own “collectors pack” with graded cards and packs, doing live rip and ships from the event, and giving out eBay branded deck boxes. The new game, and probably the best new TCG of the convention in my opinion, Altered TCG was doing on-demand demos and giving out promos of their newest Hero cards as well as held a scavenger hunt each morning to earn a limited edition playmat, which only 100 were made.
Bandai’s newest game, Union Arena, had Gen Con stamped promos of Gon from Hunter X Hunter. The Art Show had a ton of Artists with their work featured in Magic: The Gathering and/or Lorcana, who were not only signing cards but selling prints and playmats as well! And all of that doesn’t even scratch the surface.
On the competitive side both One Piece events were completely sold out (over 1,000 people participating in the regional). Events for games like Star Wars: Unlimited, Lorcana, Neopets Battle Dome, and The Pokémon Trading Card Game were completely sold out (most of you were still able to participate by buying a Generic Event Ticket on-site). Not to mention the multitude of Magic: The Gathering event continuously firing all day long. So if you’re looking to compete and get your hands on some exclusive prizing, I would suggest looking into the events next year as the catalog is rolled out.
Maybe you’re not looking to play. You just want to rip some packs and add to the collection. You looking for graded cards? Older out of print card games? The newest set of a game? All 3? Gen Con has you covered in that aspect too. Earlier I mentioned Chaotic and Duel Masters, both which has not been produced in the U.S. since the early 2000s. Imagine my surprise when I see multiple products for both as I’m walking around the exhibit hall and I’m not going to lie to you, nostalgia got the best of me for the 2nd year in a row.
At the time the newest release of the Pokémon TCG, Shrouded Fable, was also scheduled to release the Friday of this past Gen Con. Exhibitors came ready and product available day of for purchase to make sure collectors and players alike were not missing out.
As a fan of Trading Card Games in general, Gen Con has become a must go event for me. It scratches every itch that you could have. As we move more into this new era, I’m glad to see a convention get ahead of the curve this way. New, old, collector, player, it doesn’t matter. Gen Con shows once again that there is something for everyone here.
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