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The 25th Anniversary Celebration Continues This July in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

Hawthorne, Calif. (July 7, 2023) – For fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG), July is a month of momentous milestones, enormous events, and pivotal products plucked from the past and present of Dueling! In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KONAMI) is thrilled to bring back 5 classic booster sets from the first years of the game. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, Spell Ruler, Pharaoh's Servant and Invasion of Chaos all return as full booster box releases, giving nostalgic Duel fans and newer Duelists a chance to revisit the beginning of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG.

As the month continues, the future of Dueling marches on! Duelist Nexus is the third 100-card booster set of 2023, introducing new Synchro Monsters, a new World Premiere theme, and the first new monster Type since Cyberse monsters were introduced in 2017. In addition, Duelist Nexus is the first core booster to include Quarter Century Secret Rares, with 25 cards available in the stunning new foil rarity! Got a few you want to show off? Protect and display them with the brand-new Gold Pride Accessories collection, with a 9-Pocket Duelist Portfolio, Card Sleeves, and everything else you'll need to join the race.

Finally, two fan-favorite events will feature non-stop Dueling action! World Championship Qualifiers (WCQ) are back, and the North America WCQ takes place during the July 7 weekend! Hundreds of qualified Duelists who earned their invites will gather in Raleigh, North Carolina to compete for fabulous prizes, Dueling glory, and a chance to compete for the title of Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Champion at the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2023 (WCS) in Tokyo this August! And before the 2023 season is over, Duelists from all walks of life are invited to celebrate their fandom at one of the world's biggest pop culture conventions: San Diego Comic-Con!

The 25th anniversary celebration kicked off in April with the release of Legendary Collection: 25th Anniversary Edition. Each box included individual booster packs of iconic, time-honored sets from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG's first years, in addition to a preview of the Quarter Century Secret Rares, and now the trip down memory lane continues, as 5 of those sets return in individual booster packs and full booster boxes! From 2002, rediscover the phenomenon of Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, and Spell Ruler. From 2003, revisit the release that raised the bar for competition, Pharaoh's Servant. And from 2004, relive one of the game's greatest sets ever, the legendary Invasion of Chaos. From Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Exodia the Forbidden One, all the way to Dark Magician of Chaos and Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, these 5 sets defined the first 3 years of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, and now they're yours to experience once again!

The 25th anniversary celebration kicked off in April with the release of Legendary Collection: 25th Anniversary Edition. Each box included individual booster packs of iconic, time-honored sets from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG's first years, in addition to a preview of the Quarter Century Secret Rares, and now the trip down memory lane continues, as 5 of those sets return in individual booster packs and full booster boxes! From 2002, rediscover the phenomenon of Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, and Spell Ruler. From 2003, revisit the release that raised the bar for competition, Pharaoh's Servant. And from 2004, relive one of the game's greatest sets ever, the legendary Invasion of Chaos. From Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Exodia the Forbidden One, all the way to Dark Magician of Chaos and Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, these 5 sets defined the first 3 years of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, and now they're yours to experience once again!

Each of the 5 classic booster sets is available in 24-pack booster boxes, featuring every card in its original rarity. That includes BOTH Secret Rares from each release: cards like Gaia the Dragon Champion, Gate Guardian, Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, Jinzo, and Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End! Find your favorites, grab a box, and take a trip through Dueling history with these timeless cards. Duelists who enjoy Time Wizard Tournaments will find a wealth of useful cards for some of the most popular historic formats, including powerhouses that are Forbidden today, and often difficult to find: if you're a Delinquent Duo away from completing your retro strategy, or you need another Dimension Fusion to finish your banishing Deck, get ready to chase some of the strongest cards from the yesteryears of Yu-Gi-Oh!

The time capsule opens on July 14! Each booster pack has 9 cards: 1 Rare card, and 8 Commons with a chance of a Super Rare, Ultra Rare, or Secret Rare foil card. MSRP: $4.49 per 9-card pack.

Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, Spell Ruler, Pharaoh's Servant, and Invasion of Chaos

Two weeks later on July 28, a new season of competitive Dueling begins with the arrival of Duelist Nexus and the introduction of Illusions! The first new monster Type to debut since Cyberse monsters appeared in 2017, Illusion-Type monsters can't be destroyed in battle, and they can't destroy opposing monsters in battle either. Instead, they wield powerful effects that trigger when they go head-to-head with other monsters, negating effects, shifting monsters to 0 ATK, or stealing the monsters outright! Nightmare Magician can take control of whatever it battles, and it lets you destroy a card on the field when another monster attacks. Two more Illusion-Type monsters help you Summon "Chimera" monsters, including a new boss monster variation of Yugi's Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!

Duelist Nexus marks the beginning of a new story with a brand-new World Premiere theme, but it's also packed with new support for many of your favorite Decks. The “Purrely” theme is one of the biggest hits of 2023 and Duelist Nexus has new cards for all 3 themes from Amazing Defenders. The Rank 2 Epurrely Noir sends up to two cards back to your opponent's hand, and a new Trap Card can Special Summon a Level 1 "Purrely" monster from your Deck for an immediate Xyz Summon. It even prepares your new monster with a “Purrely” Memory to power it up! “Rescue-ACE” gets a new Level 8 boss monster with 2800 ATK: you can banish a “Rescue-ACE” card from your Graveyard to Special Summon this new heavy-hitter, and if you control another “Rescue-ACE” monster, you can shift one of your opponent's Effect Monsters to face-down Defense Position once per turn as a disruptive Quick Effect. Plus, a new Quick-Play Spell lets Rescue-ACE Duelists Special Summon a “Rescue-ACE” monster straight from your Deck, and recycle a “Rescue-ACE” Trap Card. Even “Mikanko” get a new Ritual Monster and a new Trap Card: both have effects that can strip monsters from your opponent's field to break up their combos and soften the field.

The journey of Visas Starfrost continues, and the “Nemleria” theme that debuted in Cyberstorm Access is back. The new Synchro upgrades Visas Starfrost into a new Level 8 Synchro and you can use its effect to search any Spell or Trap that mentions Visas Starfrost in its text. Meanwhile a new “Nemleria” Trap Card dreams up massive monsters straight from your Deck, and two new Level 10 monsters fill your field with Trap Cards and load monsters into your Extra Deck for future Pendulum Summons.

The Infernoble Knights make a blazing comeback in Duelist Nexus! Two new Effect Monsters arrive armed with Special Summon effects, and abilities that help you make Synchro Summons by turning your monsters into Tuners. A new "Infernoble Arms" Equip Spell lets you add or reuse your best Equip Spell Cards, and a new Field Spell buffs your monsters, adds from your Deck, and Special Summons your Noble Knights. It all serves to support two new Extra Deck highlights: the first is a 3000 ATK Link 1 that takes over from Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles to negate your opponent's Spell and Trap Cards; and the second is a ladylike Synchro Monster that pulls key cards from your Deck, dodges targeting, and Special Summons Infernoble Knight - Roland in any of its forms.

That's not all! Duelist Nexus brings new cards for themes like “Altergeist”, “Evolzar”, “Unchained”, “Runick”, and the “Spirit Charmers”, as well as Synchro Monsters inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, including the incredible Crimson Dragon. On top of that, Duelist Nexus is the first core booster set to include Quarter Century Secret Rares, with an impressive 25 ultra-premium foil cards to chase…including 1 that only appears in the set as a Quarter Century Secret Rare!

Get ready to rev it up one more time on July 28! The Duelist Nexus booster set brings a total of 100 all-new cards to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG: 49 Commons, 26 Super Rares, 14 Ultra Rares, and 10 Secret Rares. 24 of these cards are also available as Quarter Century Secret Rare variants, and 1 card is ONLY available as a Quarter Century Secret Rare. Each booster pack contains 9 cards: 1 Foil card and 8 Commons. MSRP: $4.49 per 9-card pack.

Duelist Nexus

Saddle up, Duelists, and get ready to go pedal to the metal with Gold Pride Accessories! Celebrating the most dangerous race in the universe and the daring competitors who risk it all, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG's latest collection of accessories has everything you need to keep your cards in ship shape. Pick your crew and place your bets, as Gold Pride - Star Leon, Gold Pride - Nytro Head, and Gold Pride - Captain Carrie take you to the finish line in style!

Whether you're Dueling or making trades, Gold Pride - Carrie's Crew Card Sleeves are your first line of defense. With unique stich-patterned artwork of Gold Pride - Captain Carrie's emblem, they're sure to make the crowd go wild! Each pack of 50 sleeves will protect your Deck from the rigors of tournament Dueling and high-speed race sports alike. Speed and handling are essential to any racer's gameplan, so the Gold Pride - Chariot Carrie Game Mat is your ticket to the winner's circle. Featuring the artwork of Gold Pride - Chariot Carrie from Cyberstorm Access, you'll move almost as quick as Carrie and her crew of buff fish buddies, as you slide your cards around the field. The full-sized rubber Game Mat is made to the same specifications as those awarded in KONAMI-sanctioned events, so experienced racers will know what they're in for.

Once you start your engines and you're headed to your next tournament, keep your entire Main, Side, and Extra Deck in the Gold Pride - Super Fan Card Case. Holding up to 70 sleeved cards, it's tricked out with the emblems of the universe's most famous racers. You can even keep your cards organized with a double-sided card divider featuring Gold Pride - Star Leon and Gold Pride - Nytro Head. And if you're between races - or Duels - then you can keep, carry, and display your favorite cards in the matching Gold Pride - Photo Finish 9-Pocket Duelist Portfolio. Keep up to 180 cards safe in the anti-slip side-loading pockets and keep your cards looking as fresh as a chariot with a new coat of wax.

The Gold Pride Accessories arrive alongside Duelist Nexus on July 28. The full collection includes the Gold Pride - Chariot Carrie Game Mat, MSRP $16.99; the Gold Pride - Super Fan Card Case, MSRP $4.99; the Gold Pride - Photo Finish 9-Pocket Duelist Portfolio, MSRP $9.99; and Gold Pride - Carrie's Crew Card Sleeves, MSRP $4.99 per pack of 50.

Gold Pride Accessories

The 2023 North America World Championship Qualifier takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina on the weekend of July 7-9, crowning a North American Champion and awarding 6 invites to the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2023: TRADING CARD GAME in August! All qualified attendees will receive game mats and card sleeves (while supplies last) exclusive to the WCQ to commemorate their achievement, and prizes for the top finishers include game consoles, complete booster sets, booster packs, Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Prize Cards reserved for the mightiest Duelists. And of course, Top 4 finishers in the WCQ main event and Top 2 finishers in the Worlds Points Playoff will win accommodations and travel to the World Championship in Tokyo, in addition to a slew of other prizes for representing North America!

Qualified competitors are invited to Duel in the main event, and hundreds of Duelists are expected to gather at the Raleigh Convention Center on July 7 to July 9. All Duel fans are welcome to compete in a wide range of Public Events through the weekend, encompassing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, Yu-Gi-Oh! DUEL LINKS, and Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL. In addition, special guests will include voice actors Billy Bob Thompson and Ted Lewis, the voices of Gong Strong from Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V and Jack Atlas from both Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D and Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V ! See them live on stage, get an autograph to commemorate the weekend, and stop by the green screen Token Booth to get your photo printed on your very own Token Card!

The stage is set for 3 days of epic action, and when everything is said and done, we'll crown a brand-new North American Champion! You can find more details about the 2023 North America World Championship Qualifier on the official event page at https://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events-item/2023-na-wcq/

And finally, on July 19 to July 23 at the San Diego Convention Center, KONAMI is bringing Yu-Gi-Oh! to San Diego Comic-Con! New Duelists can learn to play Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Speed Duel or try Yu-Gi-Oh! DUEL LINKS and Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL. Are you an experienced competitor? Try your luck against some of the game's greatest stars in Duel the Master! You can appear on your own Token Card printed at the green screen Token Booth, and attendees will have a chance to purchase a Limited Edition Game Mat exclusive to the event.

For more information on KONAMI's extensive Organized Play programs, including opportunities for aspiring Duelists to learn how to play, go to www.yugioh-card.com/en/events.

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