Palworld OCG Preview Event Shows Rapid Soul Growth and Flexible Main Phase
The Soul system, which adds two resources per turn and allows the second player a one-Soul advantage, creates a pacing where tactical options expand sharply each round, a design choice that distinguishes Palworld OCG from many existing trading card games.
Reporting from 2 sources: Game Spark, Inside.
Bushiroad held a preview event for the Palworld Official Card Game (Palworld OCG) at Card Game Fest 2026 in Tokyo on May 3 and 4, ahead of its July 30 release. Bushiroad President Takaaki Kidani personally explained the rules to attendees. The two-player card game uses a 50-card deck plus a separate 10-card Soul deck. Souls serve as the cost to play cards, and players gain two additional Souls each turn. The preview used a shortened three-life format instead of the standard ten. During play, the first player summoned a cost-2 Pal on turn one, while the second player, starting with one extra Soul, could field a cost-2 Pal and counterattack. By turn two, each player had four or five Souls, enabling cost-4 Pals and Building cards like the Primitive Furnace, which reduces Gear costs. A Quick mechanic allows players to interrupt attacks by playing a card from hand. The preview ended before a winner was decided. The game will launch with booster packs at 440 yen each and two types of trial decks at 1,980 yen each.
The preview event required a numbered ticket distributed in advance, with 6 to 7 sessions per day. Long lines formed, indicating high interest before release. Bushiroad President Takaaki Kidani personally explained the rules, guiding first-time players through the flow and key points. The combination of visitor interest and the company's efforts energized the venue.
Cards used in the preview had numbers in the top right. After both players draw 5 cards and the second player places one Soul, the game begins. The choice of first or second will influence battle strategy. On turn 1, the Stand and Draw phases are skipped, and the game goes directly to the Soul Phase. The first player on turn 1 can act with 2 Souls. During the Main Phase, players can rest 3 Souls to draw 1 card from the deck. There is no fixed order for actions in the Main Phase; players can add cards to the field based on the situation within Soul limits.
Pals can attack the opponent player, other Pals, or buildings on the turn they are played. The damaged player performs a "Damage Check" before losing life: they draw 1 card from their deck. If the drawn card is a Pal with a star icon (Lucky Pal), the damage is negated and life is not reduced. Pals do not have life like players; when they battle, they compare battle powers. A Pal is defeated if it takes damage equal to or greater than its battle power. Damage resets at the end of the turn, so if not attacked again, it recovers.
Up to 5 Pals can be on the field. Low-cost aggro strategies tend to deplete the deck quickly. In Palworld OCG, running out of cards results in immediate defeat. Pre-release preview events are planned at card shops and various events both in Japan and abroad.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.