Pocketpair, the developer behind the phenomenon Palworld, has officially announced a new collectible card game (TCG) based on its successful franchise. The reveal came during the Bushiroad New Year Announcements 2026 event, which also celebrated the 15th anniversary of Cardfight!! Vanguard. The worldwide release is scheduled for July 30, 2026, with a global strategy that includes Brazil. This move marks an ambitious expansion of the game’s universe, which has already attracted over 25 million players, into a new physical and competitive format.
The game will function as a two-player card game, where each player builds and deploys their team of Pals, collects resources, and creates structures to dominate the battlefield. Each creature will have unique characteristics to support varied strategies. To start, the initial collection will arrive with two trial decks and a booster pack, available in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese. The relevance for Brazilian fans is clear, as the IP’s expansion into new media promises more content and engagement with the local card-playing community.
Events, Tournaments, and the Competitive Future
Before the official launch in July, fans will be able to try out the TCG in demo sessions starting in the spring (Northern Hemisphere). These events begin at Bushiroad Expo 2026 in Chicago and extend to all editions of the event from March onwards, as well as the Card Game Festival 2026 in Tokyo in May. The organization has confirmed an organized play circuit in local stores and regional tournaments worldwide later this year. This way, players can already prepare, as regional qualifiers begin in the fall, with the best competing for the world title at the Card Game Festival 2027.
This announcement comes at a crucial time for Pocketpair. While expanding the universe with the card game and the farming spin-off Palworld: Palfarm (with support for Brazilian Portuguese on PC), the company still faces a lawsuit for alleged patent infringement filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Despite this, growth plans remain firm, including the partnership with Krafton for a future mobile game and the Palworld Entertainment joint venture with Sony Music Japan and Aniplex. Therefore, 2026 promises to be a decisive year in defining Palworld’s lasting legacy far beyond its early access phase.
