Bandai will release hobby exclusive Naruto TCG Tournament Packs on July 2nd, in response to hobby retailer requests for an exclusive product. The cards in the limited run product will feature chibi-style (child-like) artwork. “At Gen Con we made a chibi set handout for everyone who participated and it was hugely popular,” Bandai Hobby Sales Manager James Takenaka told ICv2, “so that’s why we thought it would be a good thing to do.”
The Tournament Pack will allow players to take any packs from series 1 to 15 plus this pack and play a draft or sealed event, “so essentially the hobby exclusive Tournament Pack is filled with ninjas for your deck,” Takenaka said.
The new Tournament Packs fit with Bandai’s over-all strategy of evolving the game in ways that makes it easier for new players to begin playing. One facet of that strategy is making draft or sealed format play available in ways that didn’t require players to get Sets 1 to 15. Set 16 was the first draftable set.
Naruto CCG Set 17, which will street in May, will be even more accessible to new players, and will be supported by ads in Shonen Jump and with Hulu.com showings of the Naruto anime.
Bandai is also launching an expansion of its organized play for the Naruto CCG with Shonen Jump Tournaments featuring drawings for a Kishimoto autographed card at each event (see “Bandai Expanding Naruto Shippuden CCG OP”).
In November, a major revision of the Naruto CCG is planned (with Set 19), with new card designs, new card types, and new mechanics, all designed to make it easy for new players to get started. All old cards will remain playable.