Brand Profile - Lorcana

The power of Lorcana

Just over a year after launching into the competitive trading card game (TCG) marketplace, Ravensburger’s Disney Lorcana continues to enchant players and collectors alike. Lea Dillenseger, Ravensburger Product Marketing manager, tells Toy World how the game continues to cast its spell and what the future holds for the range.

Disney Lorcana welcomed its fifth set, Shimmering Skies, in August 2024, despite only arriving on the TCG scene one year ago. Is it possible to maintain this momentum when it comes to new launches? And is there any danger of ‘fatigue’ among fans? 

TCGs continue to evolve on the whole, as does Disney Lorcana. Although it has only been around for a year, we've already introduced fun new ways for players to interact with the game such as new card types (for example, the addition of location cards). Exciting, never-seen-before game mechanics are incorporated into each new set ready for launch, such as the newly released co-op game, Illumineer's Quest. The addition of new themes, popular Disney properties and character abilities are also introduced with every new release. These elements ensure there's something for everyone, whether the end consumer is an avid player or committed collector.

What can you tell us at this stage about future launches? How many are in the pipeline and when might they land at retail?

We are here for the long term: therefore, we need to plan well in advance. The next release for this year lands on 15th November, so mark up your calendars. We can't disclose when 2025’s launches will be, but future sets are scheduled every quarter, giving a sense of how much advance planning goes into each wave launch. In the meantime, Set 5 - Shimmering Skies, which arrived on-shelf on 9th August - was a strategic launch timed to allow fans (and us) celebrate the first anniversary of the brand.

Shimmering Skies has been accompanied by new gaming accessories. What else might the future hold in terms of complementary product of this nature?

We listen to the player community, as it is key to the development of the brand. One element that is coming out of the feedback, and our overall future planning, is exploring the idea of suiting players’ and collectors’ requests, which is reflected in this recent set release. There’s more to come on this, so stay tuned.

There seems to be a growing demographic more interested in simply admiring and collecting the cards for their beauty and creativity, rather than playing the game. Was this something you anticipated from the outset?

Yes, we knew from the start that we would be talking to two different demographics: players and collectors. Innovation, quality and detail-oriented design are fundamental components of Disney Lorcana, which is something fans have collectively acknowledged. Creativity is key and is central to the overall game design. The success of Disney Lorcana, in part, is because each individual card is unique piece of Disney artwork designed by one of a growing network of talented artists and illustrators from around the world. It’s amazing to see the popularity of our artist signings at events and we are fully invested in giving visibility to independent artists. In turn, this promotes the idea to young people that designing trading cards is both a fun and rewarding career pathway.

August also saw the launch of Disney Lorcana Gateway. What was the thinking behind this version of the TCG and how has it been received both by retailers and fans? 

Disney Lorcana Gateway is a game for everyone and is specially designed to offer the clearest, simplest way to learn how to play. It is our vehicle through which we can onboard new players and reach a mass audience such as casual gamers and families. Since we launched Disney Lorcana, we noticed during dedicated play events that there was strong interest from several audiences, not solely the adult or TCG fan community. Disney Lorcana Gateway was intended as the perfect bridge to provide a game that introduces the concept of trading card games to a wider audience. Disney Lorcana Gateway launched in August in Europe as part of the first anniversary celebrations, with a pre-release taking place in the US. Retailers have been hugely supportive of the release, ensuring the game is now widely available ahead of the key Christmas buying period.

Can we expect expansion of the Disney Lorcana Organised Play Programme?

Absolutely! For each release we are bringing something additional to the play format, not just for the players but also for retailers wanting to promote the new set in their stores. Thanks to our recent hire of a local Organised Play coordinator, we’ll be talking directly to our partners and producing bespoke activity to suit different types of audiences and in-store formats.

What about UK/international championship events– is this something we could see in the future, building on the Store Championships introduced with Into the Inklands?

We started organising dedicated global Championships called Challenge, on our competitive circuit, following the brand launch last year. In Europe in particular, players answered the call: all tickets for the recent French tournament in Lille sold out within minutes. An event in Bochum took place few weeks ago, and coming next are events at Bologna and Birmingham. The best players from these events will be selected to attend the World championship next year. This is very exciting - we can’t wait to see who the best player in the world will be.

Do you think Disney Lorcana has reinvigorated the TCG sector by opening the door to new players?

We’re thrilled to have been an integral part of this change. The Disney licence really helps us promote inclusivity and accessibility for all. Retailers have noticed a palpable shift in the kind of customers that attend their in-store tournament events, with more women and couples attending. In addition, the gameplay has been designed in a way that makes it suitable for anyone, including younger players.