Konami to allow sanctioned physical Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG events to return on July 15 in the United States

After postponing physical Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG events through June, Konami is finally lifting some of its restrictions on what sanctioned in-person events Official Tournament Stores in the United States can run starting on July 15. 

This will be the first return to sanctioned physical play since Konami initially suspended in-person events last March due to COVID-19 concerns. Every OTS store owner will be able to run physical events at their own discretion and where allowed by local regulation, without further input from Konami barring a future reversal of this decision. 

“We encourage OTS owners, staff, and Duelists to follow local, regional, and federal health and safety guidelines,” Konami said. “We recommend that stores ask Duelists to confirm that they are fully vaccinated or have tested negative before letting them participate in tournaments. We also highly encourage store personnel and Duelists to continue to follow social distancing rules and to wear masks, consistent with CDC recommendations and local regulations in your area.”

This means large promotion events for official product launches, sanctioned tournaments, and more can be held somewhat regularly again based on each individual OTS store’s policy on health and safety protocols moving forward. 

Konami will still continue to run Remote Duel initiatives through Duel Links, Legacy of the Duelist, Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution, and the traditional Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. This includes the Remote Duel Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series (YCS) that will run on July 10 and 11.

Further updates on when sanctioned in-person events will be reinstated in Canada and Latin America will be shared as Konami continues to monitor the state of the pandemic in all regions. Physical events resumed in multiple European countries starting today.