Wizards of the Coast has big plans for its Kaijudo TCG with the next block, including the expansion of the booster packs and new play formats.  We talked to WotC’s Senior Kaijudo Brand Manager Kierin Chase about the plans, the end of the Kaijudo animated show, and the state of Kaijudo organized play.

How many Kaijudo SKUs did you release in 2013 and how many do you plan to release in 2014?
We have a full release schedule in 2014 that mirrors 2013 with four booster set releases as well as two specialty SKUs.  On March 15th we release the epic finale to the Clash of the Duel Masters block, The 5 Mystics (see "'Kaijudo: The 5 Mystics'").  Then the ramifications of the Civilization War take hold and have a direct impact on the next block that starts with Quest for the Gauntlet, releasing May 30th.

With the Quest for the Gauntlet block we are introducing two new play formats: Standard constructed and Booster Draft.  Most players are familiar with Open constructed, which allows players to use all cards that have been released to date.  The new Standard format will only allow the last 2 blocks, which in May, will be Clash of the Duel Masters and Quest for the Gauntlet.

The Quest for the Gauntlet block is built from the ground up to take advantage of the new Booster Draft format, and starts Kaijudo’s move to larger booster packs.

When are you changing the configuration of booster packs, and why?  Any change in price?
Starting with Quest for the Gauntlet and going forward, all Kaijudo booster packs will contain 14 playable cards to facilitate the introduction of limited play.  With this change there is no increase in suggested retail booster pack price and the ratio of rares and higher will remain the same as seen in previous 9 card boosters.  Additional cards in booster packs will consist of commons and uncommons.   

Booster Draft is a fan-favorite way to play a TCG and, as Kaijudo moves into its third year, we are thrilled to expand and provide this style of play.  Draft creates a level playing field for new players, while experienced players will find their skill rewarded.

Quest for the Gauntlet tells the story of the Duel Masters, currently challenged with limited resources, and players of the TCG will find that Kaijudo Draft play mirrors the experiences of their favorite characters.  Events this year will take advantage of the Draft format, and we can’t wait to see players dive into them.     

Magic is at 15 cards per booster; why did you initially think that a smaller booster was a better fit for Kaijudo?
We launched Kaijudo at 9-card boosters to ensure familiarity of its style of game with players.  Now that Kaijudo is well-established we can expand both the product and the event offerings to include 14-card packs and limited play.

We see that the Kaijudo TV series is off the Hub after the second season.  Will there be further efforts to distribute new Kaijudo animation, or is the series done?
The current Kaijudo TV series has concluded with 52 amazing episodes that can still be seen on the Hub Network as well as digital distribution though Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant, and Google Play.  The story of Ray, Tatsurion and their friends will continue in upcoming TCG sets and on Kaijudo.com.  

What impact do you think the loss of TV exposure will have on sales of the game?
Our goal with the TV series was to lay the foundation for Kaijudo’s incredible storyline. Now we are seeing great results with digital distribution through Netflix, iTunes Amazon Instant and Google Play.  As we turn our focus toward creating great play experiences for our fans, the storyline will continue to be developed through the TCG and at Kaijudo.com.

What’s the trajectory in the number of stores participating been in the six months since we last talked in August (see "Exclusive Interview: 'Kaijudo' Update")?
Thanks to the outstanding support of hobby retailers we have seen the number of tournaments increase by 33% from Q3 to Q4, after an increase of 15% from Q2 to Q3.  This has allowed us to increase the number of spring 2014 Kaijudo Master Challenge (KMC) locations to 43, up from 30 in the fall of 2013.  All of this activity has allowed a dramatic increase in player participation which we look forward to continuing in 2014 and beyond.