As we approach the end of the first season of Disney Lorcana Challenge, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an incredible journey filled with thrilling matches, strategic brilliance, and a growing community of dedicated Illumineers. Together, we’ve celebrated milestones, witnessed remarkable gameplay, and welcomed new players into the realm of the Disney Lorcana TCG.
Disney Lorcana Challenge Series: Year One Retrospective
This season has been nothing short of amazing. We saw over 17,000 players participating in nearly 150,000 games of Disney Lorcana TCG.
Our first events were during the Into the Inklands meta, with decks including Amber (mostly with Steel but one unexpected Amethyst deck taking a win in Atlanta) seeing some of the highest success thanks to cards like Rapunzel – Gifted with Healing, Cinderella – Ballroom Sensation, and Piglet – Pooh Pirate Captain showing up in winning deck lists.
As we went into Ursula’s Return, Bucky – Squirrel Squeak Tutor and Diablo- Devoted Herald helped Ursula – Deceiver of All rise to power with Emerald/Steel becoming a prevalent deck. Even with Bucky leaving competitive play, Emerald/Steel has still been a favorite for many players.
While Emerald and Amber haven’t left the meta, Ruby decks (both Ruby/Sapphire and Amethyst/Ruby) have become the most successful during Shimmering Skies and Azurite Sea. Ruby/Sapphire of course with favorites like Hiram Flaversham - Toymaker and Pawpsicle providing a nice draw engine, while Ice Block pairs nicely with Ruby cards like Brawl and Sisu – Empowered Sibling.
During the European and North American Championship, Amethyst/Ruby took the win at both events thanks to popular cards like Madam Mim – Fox and Be Prepared providing pressure on opponents throughout the game. That said, with every meta this past season, the field has been incredibly diverse, with every ink color having representation among players. We hope that innovation in deckbuilding continues on into Archazia’s Island and beyond.
World Championship Invites
We’re thrilled to highlight some of the standout players who have secured their spots at the Disney Lorcana World Championship. These players have demonstrated exceptional skill and strategy, earning their place in this landmark event.
North American Events
Edmond Chiu North American Champion & Dallas Fort Worth Champion
Scott Markeson 2nd North American Championship
Zan Syed 3rd North American Championship & Las Vegas Champion
Patrick Côté 4th North American Championship
Morgan Shamblin 5th North American Championship
Zach Bivens 6th North American Championship
Shawn Leung 7th North American Championship
Pierre-Marc Duguay 8th North American Championship
Kurt Spiess Top 16 North American Championship (Pass Down)
Humza Khan Top 16 North American Championship (Pass Down)
Joshua Paultre Atlanta Champion
Brian Courtade Chicago Champion
Diego Saz Toronto Champion
Luke Goodwin Seattle Champion
European Events
Domingo Martinez Rodenas European Champion
Michele Assirelli 2nd European Championship
Luca Lazzara 3rd European Championship
Lukas Kaupa 4th European Championship
Duy Hiêu Huynh 5th European Championship
Raphaël Brule 6th European Championship
Douglas Auchelie 7th European Championship
Andreu Vidal 8th European Championship
Frank Karsten Lille Champion
Théotime Buchot Bochum Champion
Elie Vepierre Bologna Champion
Federico Marinangeli Birmingham Champion
Oceanic Events
Dinh Khang Pham Melbourne Champion
Ben Simmons Melbourne Top 4 (Pass Down)
Congratulations to these talented competitors— we can’t wait to see them bring their best to the World Championship!
So what IS next for the Disney Lorcana Challenge Series?
Behind the scenes, our small but passionate team is hard at work regrouping and growing to support the future of premier play. From listening to all of your feedback, to analyzing our plans and processes, we’ve learned a lot during this first season.
One of our key takeaways is the need for more centralized and timely communication with our play community. We’re committed to providing clearer information about Disney Lorcana Challenge and other Organized Play programs, including having more details for entire seasons ready at the start. This level of transparency and planning is a priority as we look toward the World Championship and what comes next.
We’re taking a moment to regroup, hire more team members, and build on everything you loved about the first year. This pause will allow us to craft a better premier event experience for everyone. We’re incredibly excited about what’s to come and are working diligently to plan the next season while making the Disney Lorcana World Championship an unforgettable event.
We know you are eagerly awaiting information for the World Championships and the next season of the Challenge Series. We’re working as quickly as we can to finish designing these events and will share the details once we have locked-in the details. We thank you for your patience as we work to make this next season even better than the first! Thank you for being part of this magical journey. Together, we’ll continue to grow and strengthen the Disney Lorcana community.
Stay tuned, and thank you for your support!
