Brand Profile - Asmodee

Asmodee shares details of new Star Wars: Unlimited TGC

Asmodee subsidiary Fantasy Flight Games, in partnership with Lucasfilm, has announced the upcoming release of Star Wars: Unlimited, an all-new trading card game, and held a launch event for retailers and media last month. Marianna Casal reports.

The Star Wars: Unlimited game features iconic heroes, villains, ships and settings from all facets of the legendary Star Wars franchise, including movies, TV series, comics, video games and everything in between. The game will launch globally in 2024 and Asmodee hosted its first retailer day in Birmingham to launch the TCG, in addition to sharing its long-term plans and commitments with retail partners and selected media outlets. Toy World went along to find out more.

Before having the chance to play the game for themselves, attendees were given a presentation on the background of the game and where the creators hope it will ultimately lead to. We learned that Davide Bonati, global VP, Hobby, Sales & Strategy, who joined Asmodee three years ago after eight years at Wizards of the Coast, was presented with the draft game by the Fantasy Flight team soon after joining. Davide told the audience: “I thought it was an amazing game and incredibly fun to play. I got together with Jim Cartwright, VP of Product Strategy, to talk about how we were going to transfer the passion and energy we had for the game to the market.”

Most importantly for Davide and the team, one of the pillars of Star Wars: Unlimited is “hobby first”. This means that 90% of all stock will be sold through the specialist toy & hobby retail channel. The team has also come up with an Organised Play programme to support stores; organised play has been designed alongside the game from the beginning and will be ready from day one. From weekly store-level community experiences to worldwide largescale events, there will be something for gamers of all levels to enjoy.

Davide commented: “We believe that a long-term, successful TCG needs a strong community to support it, and we believe that local toy & hobby stores are the best place to build that community. We want to support specialist retailers because they are our heartland.”

The creators are so confident about the new game, that they have put together the largest dedicated staff of any game in its studio history to support it.

Having played it myself, I can certainly say from my own experience that Star Wars: Unlimited is a fast-paced, dynamic game that is both easy to learn yet strategically deep. The robust development of the game has been underway for the past three years, and fans can look forward to a regular release schedule of three sets per year. Asmodee has already put together a five-year road map that builds out additional product types and target audience considerations.

Roger Martin, hobby and independent channel director at Asmodee UK, told Toy World: “The Asmodee team collectively has hundreds of years of experience in trading card games. The trading card game market is growing, and we wanted to do this right. We don’t just want a game that is out today and gone tomorrow, we are aiming for longevity. Star Wars: Unlimited demands to have investment for its evergreen future and we’re putting a lot into this, because we have such a belief in the product itself. It’s not just about selling a product - it’s about creating a community behind the product.”

Jim Cartwright added: “Ensuring this game was accessible to all players was key for us, so whether you are a casual player, competitor or collector, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Straightforward mechanics are the

driving force behind the design; it’s clean and concise with no gimmicks – a card game in its purest form.”

Star Wars fans and collectors alike will be able to experience the Star Wars galaxy in a whole new way, with never-before-seen, refreshing new art. Dedicated TCG fans and collectors can also look forward to seeking out alternate cards with special treatments and visual designs.

Brian Schomburg, visual creative director for Fantasy Flight Games, said: “Having the opportunity to commission new art for every card in this game ensures there will be an exciting and cohesive style throughout. We really thought about what the cards would look like on the table next to one another. We’re proud to be creating something so unique, with the legendary characters and settings that Lucasfilm has brought to life in the Star Wars franchise.”

Chris Gerber, Fantasy Flight Games head of studio, added: “Star Wars: Unlimited is the culmination of FFG’s rich history, mixed with the celebrated Star Wars brand. As a studio, we are putting unprecedented resources across every department into this game. We could not be more excited to get this out into the world for everyone to experience. We can’t wait to show you more.”

To support retailers, there will be launch day kit bundles, and Asmodee will work with retailers to suggest the right kit for their stores. In collaboration with Gamegenic, there will also be deck pods, card sleeves, premium tokens and prime game mats of different sizes on offer.

A sneak peek of the game can be viewed on the Fantasy Flight Games YouTube channel and readers can keep an eye on Fantasy Flight Games’ social media channels for more information.