Azuki's official card game has announced a collaboration with German publisher Cube Golem to bring the first set, "Gates Awakened," to Europe, starting with the International Spiel Essen from October 22 to 25. Cube Golem's store has listed English booster box packs and four pre-constructed sets: Raizan, Shao, Bobu, and Zero, with a release date of October 22.

This set is the first booster pack in the Azuki universe, featuring 148 unique cards, with 12 cards per pack and 24 packs per box. The gameplay centers around leaders and gates, deploying entities, spells, and weapons using IKZ resources on two battlefields: alleys and courtyards, aiming to reduce the opponent's leader's life to zero. Retail in the U.S. began on June 26 through channels like GTS, with additional distribution by PHD Games. The team includes members from Blizzard and Riot Games, with character art direction by Arnold Tsang from "Overwatch." Cards can be submitted for PSA, Beckett, and CGC grading.

The prize pool for the first season's organized play is approximately $100,000, with regional championships scheduled for fall, a second set within the year, and an invitational in early 2027. The Pasadena regional championship plans to accommodate up to 256 players in a Swiss format, with a $3,000 prize for the champion and qualification for the 2027 invitational. The official announcement states that pre-sale revenue exceeded $1 million, with around 800,000 packs allocated for retail; a complementary comic is also in production, with plans for four more sets within 18 months.

The European launch ties the exhibition debut and local pre-sale to the same day, effectively using the world's largest board game fair as a warehouse and player education platform. The U.S. has already completed local store and first regional events, while Europe is starting from scratch to build a store tournament network. Currently, the primary language is English for the products.

In terms of market mechanics, this NFT avatar project treats physical card stores as a secondary distribution channel: what is purchased is the trial and pre-order box during the four days in Essen, while what is sold are character assets that circulate only within the blockchain community. Local publishers benefit from the European store tournament revenue; however, other anime card games competing for shelf space during the same period face pressure, as do holders who still regard Azuki merely as a low-value avatar. The exhibition debut does not guarantee regular restocking on shelves.

Additionally, the second set is already in production and is expected to launch by the end of the year. Following the U.S. debut, Europe will follow approximately four months later, with a rhythm closer to traditional card games going overseas rather than synchronized airdrops on the blockchain.

Source: Public Information