With Disney Lorcana, Ravensburger continues to ride the wave of success. A new set from autumn and a reprint of the first wave at the start of the year should extend the hype.
The toy industry owes its continued soaring to a large extent to the trading card game genre: Pokémon in particular is considered a long-running favorite, as market data recently showed. Disney Lorcana's figures are also likely to make a contribution in the future; sales of the Ravensburger novelty were not included in the currently published statistics. It is obvious that the trading card game based on the characters from the “house of the mouse” is a success: Shortly after its launch, the cards were sold out in stores and supplies only arrived in stores sparsely.
The publisher is very happy about the successful market launch: “It's overwhelming how well it's been received,” says Steffen Vierrether, PR manager for the Logic Games and Trading Cards divisions at Ravensburger. “We receive a lot of positive feedback from players and retailers. Actually from everyone.”
Disney Lorcana: We're not surprised
When the trading card game was announced, at least some of the initial reactions from genre connoisseurs were cautious about the idea of setting up a strategic trading card game with, of all things, Disney characters. Ultimately it turns out that the author and publisher hit the mark with the combination. Ravensburger obviously expected the response: “We’re not surprised that it’s been so well received because we know it’s a great game,” says Steffen Vierrether. And yet: “The fact that there is such a hype surprised us a bit.
Ravensburger's game came at the right time: the trading card game genre was dominated by old formats. Apart from the good Flesh and Blood, which was more popular with connoisseurs, there were no notable new releases for a long time. The combination of the enormously popular Disney license and the mere prospect of a novelty initially at least got people talking in the scene. Yes, Disney Lorcana could be something if Ravensburger doesn't make any major mistakes. That's how it was supposed to happen. With the start of trading, a real run on starter packs, displays and boosters began. Ravensburger was unable to meet the enormous demand in such a short time. A reprint of the first wave of Disney Lorcana was quickly announced. Fans will be provided with tickets again for the new year. “We are trying to maintain production. We do the emphasis. The cards will be available in Europe from January,” explains Vierrether. The second chapter of the Lorcana cards will be launched in late autumn: “All of us who are waiting for products: set two will be launched on November 17th in specialized stores and in stores on December 1st.” Ravensburger’s PR man also points out that a reprint is already planned for the second wave: next year 2024.
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How large the available quantity of second wave Lorcana items will be remains a secret. According to Steffen Vierrether, Ravensburger ultimately aims to serve everyone who wants the products. “An exact demand is difficult to estimate.” Ravensburger hopes that the second wave will also sell well and that “everyone will get their product”.
Disney Lorcan seems to have managed to be both a beginner's game and a connoisseur's format at the same time. “It’s a bit of a mixed blessing,” says Vierrether. “On the one hand, there are people who have been working with TCGs for a long time or with board games in general, but also people who are completely new to the TCG world.” The latter is achieved primarily through the IP, through Disney. And the game mechanics are also crucial for this success: The game is basically easy to learn, but also has strategic depth. And children? “The game is for ages eight and up,” says Steffen Vierrether. “That’s not our focus target group, but of course the target group between eight and twelve years old is also a group that plays the game.”
The strategic depth issue is likely to increase with the launch of organized gaming formats. According to the Ravensburger PR man, organized play will start with the third wave of content. It was planned this way so that a certain base of strategies would be available when things started.
Whether Ravensburger is planning its own and therefore official digital formats? Steffen Vierrether could – and was not allowed – to say anything about this. However, Ravensburger is aware that there are now several such fan offers in the scene.
Next year starts with Asmodees Star Wars Unlimited another great trading card game. Ravensburger's still young trading card game will have to get into the ring with the competition. The game developed by Fantasy Flight Games also relies on a license from Disney. It could be exciting if Ravensburger also enters the market with characters based on George Lucas' sci-fantasy epic. In principle, exactly that is possible, as Steffen Vierrether indirectly confirms: As far as he knows, there is no exclusion clause that would ban Star Wars characters from Disney Lorcana.
It will probably be at least months before lightsaber wielders appear on the cards at Lorcana: With the second wave, it will be the turn of films like Raya and the Last Dragon, The Jungle Book and Pinocchio. Here too there will be a mix of new and nostalgic characters - also with the “great illustrations,” says Vierrether happily. The range of possibilities is a major unique selling point of Disney Lorcana.
Disney Lorcana at the SPIEL in Essen
At this year's innovation show at SPIEL Essen, Ravensburger showed the trading card game “Disney Lorcana” TCG (English Trading Card Game), which recently came onto the market. “The response to the release of the Disney Lorcana TCG has been overwhelming. The game has only been on the market since August and fans are already eagerly waiting for more,” stated Filip Francke, Global Head of Games at Ravensburger, in mid-September.
"Disney Lorcan TCG" is Ravensburger's trading card game with unique game mechanics that shows popular Disney characters in a completely new world in the original and in a newly designed way. The game is easy to learn, even for newcomers to trading card games. At the same time, it offers strategic depth and challenges for experienced players.
“We are working hard behind the scenes to meet the current demand,” says Filip Francke. “At the same time, we are also planning incredible updates and new sets for the coming years. We’re excited to reveal a little more about what’s coming to the game and the story behind it by the end of the year.”
Disney Lorcana: Rise of the Floodforms (Set 2) delves into the inky origins of the Floodform Glimmers - Disney characters transformed by a mysterious flood of ink. Luminari (players who take on the role of powerful wizards) and Glimmer (images) of Disney characters embark together on a journey beyond the Great Illuminarium (a treasure trove of all Disney songs and stories), created by a flood of magical ink was damaged. The six inks (amethyst, amber, ruby, sapphire, emerald and steel) were released by the flood and mixed together. When Legendary or Dreamform Glimmers encountered this mixed ink, a force transformed them into Floodform Glimmers. The magical ink poured out of the Illuminarium, taking with it precious legends, including Disney's King Triton's mighty trident.
Disney Lorcana: Rise of the Tideforms includes more than 200 new cards with brand new artwork. Favorite characters like Disney's Winnie the Pooh and Tiana appear for the first time in the Disney Lorcana TCG, along with other new Disney stories including Disney's "The Jungle Book," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Basil the Great Mouse Detective," "Pinocchio," “Zoomania” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”. All cards in this set can be played alongside cards from The First Chapter set and used to update existing Disney Lorcana TCG decks.
The following products are currently available for purchase for Disney Lorcana:
- There are three different “Disney Lorcana” TCG Starter Decks with an immediately playable deck, quick start rules, a legend counter, tokens and a booster pack (€ 19.99 (RRP))
- The "Disney LorcanTCG Booster Packs each consist of twelve random playing cards, including a foil card and two cards with the rarity value “rare”, “epic” or “legendary” (€ 5.99 (RRP))
- The Disney Lorcana TCG Gift Set includes two oversized foil cards and two playable foil cards. Four booster packs and tokens are also included (€ 29.99 (RRP))
- The Illumineer's Trove is the perfect introduction to Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter. It contains eight booster packs, two deck boxes and a player handbook in a themed storage box (€54.99 (RRP))
- Thematically designed and illustrated playmats, card sleeves, deck boxes and folders are also available.
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