Yu-Gi-Oh! 2024 release schedule: Every upcoming core booster, structure deck and set
As the trading card game marks its 25th anniversary, expect some exciting core boosters, the return of classic cards and more.
The exciting line-up of Yu-Gi-Oh! releases in 2024 promises a wide array of special sets, decks and cards marking what looks to be a momentous 25th anniversary for the popular card game.
With an event in Japan's Tokyo Dome having already kicked off the festivities for the year, 2024 promises to be a 12-month celebration of this auspicious milestone, marked with unique collectable product releases and callbacks to the history of the series.
Yu-Gi-Oh! release dates 2024
- Maze of Millennia - January 19th
- Yu-Gi-Oh 2-player starter set - January 26th
- Phantom Nightmare - February 9th
- Battles of Legend: Chapter 1 - February 23rd
Legendary Decks II
- March 14th- Speed Duel GX: Midterm Destruction - March 29th
- Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Stainless Steel Egyptian God Cards - TBD early 2024
- Legacy of Destruction - April 26th
25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II
- May 23rd- Realm of Light Structure Deck - June 6th
- Battles of Legend: Terminal Revenge - June 20th
The Infinite Forbidden
- July 18th25th Anniversary Tin: Dueling Mirrors
- September 19th
This new slate of 2024 Yu-Gi-Oh! releases will bring back childhood memories of emulating your heroes from the anime and introduce new archetypes and play styles that will take your dueling to the next level.
With the standard core booster sets set for release alongside new starter decks, Speed Duel sets and more, there’s something for every fan of the TCG in the 2024 Yu-Gi-Oh! release schedule. That’s before we talk about all the many ways Konami plans to celebrate 25 years of Yu-Gi-Oh! with some extra-special (and expensive!) commemorative releases.
Read on to discover everything you can expect to release for Yu-Gi-Oh! in 2024, and check back for further updates on everything you can buy over the course of the next 12 months.
Yu-Gi-Oh! core boosters 2024
Even in a year of celebrations, the biggest releases from the 2024 Yu-Gi-Oh! release calendar are, as ever, the core booster packs. These sets introduce major new archetypes to the game that will come to define the meta over the next 12 months, tentpole releases in the Yu-Gi-Oh! calendar with a revolutionary impact on how we play the game.
Phantom Nightmare
Release date: February 9th
Phantom Nightmare brought with it the return of the GX-era favorite monster Yubel, first introduced all the way back in 2008, with all-new archetype support that transforms the old-time deck into a sleeker, modern challenger. Spirit of Yubel makes the defining creature easier to summon than ever, helping players bring out the deck’s all-new Fusion boss monster.
But this blast from the past isn’t the only thing in this first major set of the calendar year. There's new Majespecter and Raidraptor support, and a bunch of new plant support - and for new archetypes, saddle up with Goblin Bikers.
Legacy of Destruction
Release date: April 26th
After hitting the Japanese market in January, Legacy of Destruction will release in the English TCG at the end of April, bringing with it memories of the past and a new path towards the future.
Memories of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series will be stirred as new support for Silent Magician and Silent Swordsman featured in Yugi and Atem’s final duel are released, these classic creatures standing side by side with all-new archetypes like the music-inspired Melodius cards.
Keeping with the revival of the past, another promised release in Legacy of Destruction is all-new Lightsworn support, making this a set promising something for fans old and new.
The Infinite Forbidden
Release date: July 18th
Yu-Gi-Oh!'s third core booster pack of 2024 is, perhaps fittingly for a set released in an anniversary year like this, centered on one of Yugi Moto’s most iconic cards. The cover card for the set is an all-new edition of Exodia, one which relies on utilising Forbidden One cards like the main pieces in the hand, deck or Graveyard to bring this Fusion Monster onto the field, with a plethora of powerful effects that could truly obliterate an opponent.
After a major reveal at the recent Legend of Duelist 25th Anniversary celebrations in Tokyo Dome earlier this year, the set expands on the lore behind the Sinful Spoils cards, brings new Gimmick Puppet support and more. One thing’s for certain: this set will uproot the metagame significantly once it’s released to the public this summer.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary releases 2024
As a tentpole anniversary year for Yu-Gi-Oh! filled with special events and so much more, Konami is marking the occasion with special commemorative releases that celebrate the history of the beloved card game. Here’s what you can expect from Yu-Gi-Oh!’s 25th Anniversary releases in 2024.
Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Stainless Steel Egyptian God cards
Release date: TBD early 2024
If you’re a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan with a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, why not get some stainless steel god cards? Available as a limited-time pre-order ahead of a planned early 2024 release and featuring all-new designs of all three iconic creatures crafted in stainless steel, this pricey promo promises a framed art piece for the centre of any dedicated fan’s collection.
Legendary Decks II
Release date: March 14th
Bringing the core decks of Yugi Moto, Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler into a special collectible set, bundled with exclusive Tokens and housed in a box with a snazzy all-gold Gold Sarcophagus-inspired box, Legendary Decks II is a worthy set to reprint to celebrate 25 years of Yu-Gi-Oh!
The pre-built nature of including three 43-card decks based on each character allows players to gather some friends and play what-if scenarios from the original series. Now you too can have your own Yugi vs Kaiba matchup, or put Joey’s Red-Eyes Black Dragon up against Blue-Eyes White Dragon. If you missed out on its initial 2016 release, now’s the time to get it.
25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II
Release date: May 23rd
The first Rarity Collection was arguably the best Yu-Gi-Oh! release of 2023, and now it’s back! It was the accessibility of this reprint collection we praised last year, with the set doing an impressive job of bringing cards from all eras of Yu-Gi-Oh! into one set in multiple rarities, helping players to get their hands on what they're after and boost their decks with holographic favourites.
Rarity Collection II offers more of the same with a few changes: there are now twice as many Ultra and Secret Rares per pack, improving odds of getting Quarter Century, Prismatic Ultimate and Collector Rares, and Platinum Secret Rares, with nine cards per pack instead of five. Just as the first collection was the most sought-after release of 2023, expect this to be one of the most popular Yu-Gi-Oh! releases in 2024, with staples like Droll & Lock Bird and a bunch of alt-art versions of cards old and new included.
25th Anniversary Tin: Dueling Mirrors
Release date: September 19th
The yearly tins are getting an upgrade for the game’s 25th anniversary, with one of the biggest reprint Mega Packs ever featured in any previous Yu-Gi-Oh! tin. Including reprints from the last 12 booster packs going back to Power of the Elements while also featuring alt-art versions and reprints of cards from the Japanese Quarter Century Chronicle side:Unity and side:Pride sets that have been sold out since their release in Japanese card stores, this is more than a mere trip down memory lane or collection of recent reprints.
The alternative artworks included in the set are for beloved cards throughout Yu-Gi-Oh! history like Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Dark Magician Girl, Harpie’s Feather Duster and Raigeki, while the tin itself is a snazzy silver with Kaiba and Yugi adorning the lid. With three guaranteed Quarter Century Secret Rare cards also included, this is looking like a rather enticing feather on the anniversary’s celebratory cap.
Other Yu-Gi-Oh! releases 2024
There’s more than just core sets and anniversary goodies to expect from Yu-Gi-Oh! in 2024. Here’s everything else you can expect to see over the course of this year.
Maze of Millennia
Release date: January 19th
Be careful not to get lost, especially if there’s a Gate Guardian hiding at the end of the maze! Few would have had all-new support for this creature on their 2024 bingo card prior to the announcement of Maze of Millennia, but this is just one of a few cards in this anime-inspired set bringing many previously anime-exclusive cards into the real world.
All eras of the anime are represented: Pegasus’ Eye of Illusion is here, the powerful Bonfire card from the GX anime that could search level 4 or lower Pyro monsters makes an appearance and that’s not all - the legendary Number 1 will also make its debut.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 2-Player Starter Set
Release date: January 26th
Yu-Gi-Oh! is more accessible to new players than ever before, and that will only be further helped by an all-new two-player starter set in 2024. Alongside including two pre-made decks in a single set to learn the ropes with a friend, the set includes a 64-page play-along comic to simulate a scripted battle that teaches the basic mechanics of how to play Yu-Gi-Oh! A vital first step into the card-collecting rabbit hole.
Battles of Legend: Chapter 1
Release date: February 23rd
A greatest hits collection-of-sorts comprising prior Battles of Legend releases, this special release includes three 18-card packs containing select cards from previous sets alongside related cards and six unique dice. Why not take another stab at adding Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord and Chaos Emperor, the Dragon of Armageddon to your collection?
Speed Duel GX: Midterm Destruction
Release date: March 29th
For Speed Duel fans, this new ready-made battle box for the quick-duel format includes four pre-build decks inspired by Jaden Yuki, Sartorius, Tyranno Hassleberry and Jim Crocodile Cook. Belowski also makes a debut in the set with Mokey Mokey King, further expanding the card pool.
Realm of Light Structure Deck
Release date: June 6th
A reprint of the beloved Lightsworn structure deck from 2014, timed to coincide with all-new archetype support in the latest core booster sets? Yes please! This was a deck that transformed the archetype and sent it into the competitive spotlight on its initial release, with many cards in the deck remaining mainstays for the deck ever since. Definitely one worth picking up if you plan to jump onto the hype.
Battles of Legend: Terminal Revenge
Release date: June 20th
The second Battles of Legend set of 2024 brings more support for beloved archetypes introduced in the Duel Terminal arcade game and more to Western players, from new Ice Barrier support to Infernoids and more. Beyond that, expect many reprints and new support for archetypes introduced in Phantom Nightmare and Legacy of Destruction. All in holographic form, so some nice rarity increases for classic cards, too.