Remember the absolute societal chaos caused by Beanie Babies or Pokémon cards? The Walt Disney Company is no stranger to intense fandoms, but its latest attempt to create the next financial fad on the secondary market seems to be panning out. Titled Disney Lorcana, this sensation has seen extreme demand, with merchandise selling out within minutes of appearing in the Disney Store or retail.
Disney Lorcana Collectible Card Game
Disney Lorcana is an exciting new collectible card game launching this week on September 1, 2023, through a collaboration between Ravensburger and The Walt Disney Company. This marks Ravensburger’s debut in the realm of trading card games, and it’s poised to enter the competitive arena of collectible card games, challenging the likes of Magic: The Gathering and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
In the Disney Lorcana TCG, players are transported to the enchanting world of Lorcana, assuming the roles of Illumineers who harness the power of magic ink to summon a team of beloved Disney characters known as “glimmers.” These glimmers manifest in familiar and fantastical forms, adding a touch of Disney magic to the gameplay. The official Disney Blog promises the game is easy to pick up for newcomers and ” features more than 200 original pieces of Disney art that collectors and Disney fans will adore.”
The strategy involves players engaging in thrilling battles using sixty-card decks representing characters, items, and iconic song lyrics from Disney’s rich media history. The objective is to generate “ink” during turns, enabling the summoning of more cards and employing various actions from these cards. Players engage in strategic interactions with each other’s cards while striving to accumulate twenty points, referred to in the game as “lore,” before their opponent emerges victorious.
The inaugural set, titled “The First Chapter,” debuted at board game stores on August 18, 2023, and hit major retailers this morning. Collectors already saw prerelease cards going for hundreds of dollars, and it looks like things are just getting more dire with the official retail launch.
Disney Lorcana Selling Out
Eager fans ready to purchase starter decks and sets on the Disney Store noticed the merchandise was listed as “sold out” within minutes of becoming available. Collectors have taken to Reddit to voice their frustrations, blaming the insane speed on an all too common annoyance nowadays. Scalper bots may have swarmed among the fans to nab Lorcana merchandise to upsell it on the secondary market.
I guess its on me for believing that bots wouldn’t scoop up every available bit of lorcana on the internet.
The thread has commenters lamenting about NOTHING being available. Aside from the starter decks and booster packs, even the playmats went in just a short time. However, a few responses claim success in snagging merchandise before it sold out. Some fans are also reporting refreshing the page and getting lucky. Disney might be staggering availability to try and avoid as many bots as possible.
Furthermore, this doesn’t seem to be limited to the online Disney Store. Best Buy’s website and other retailers list Lorcana TCG merchandise as sold out as well. Disney Lorcana has stressed to eager fans that it is working hard to ensure the product is available, and additional booster packs will arrive in October.
Additional booster product will start arriving in North American local game stores in October. We are also reprinting Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter, which will be available starting in Q1 2024 in North America and Europe.
Additional booster product will start arriving in North American local game stores in October. We are also reprinting Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter, which will be available starting in Q1 2024 in North America and Europe.
— Disney Lorcana (@DisneyLorcana) August 31, 2023
The secondary market has gotten way more volatile in modern times. Scalping bots have soured a ton of popular merchandise. Disney Lorcana is another fad struggling under the weight of greedy resellers. Good luck to everyone trying to find success!