Palworld OCG Preview Event Shows Rapid Soul Growth and Flexible Main Phase
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.