← all stories
Xross Stars
Xross Stars is one year into its life as a trading card game and has just entered the top 10 by share of Japan's domestic TCG market, per a Media Create survey. Its fifth booster pack, Ignition Vortex, is in pre-order ahead of an October 30, 2026 release and adds 16 leader cards, split between 8 new and 8 returning.
Synthesized from 8
Yomimono stories · updated
Sep 30
Xross Stars launched on August 22, 2025 as a joint project between Game & Co., a subsidiary of Brave group, and Samurai Kobo, which operates the esports team Crazy Raccoon. The game turns VTubers, streamers, and esports players into cards across agency lines. The first set featured 24 people, mainly from VSPO!, Crazy Raccoon, and Neo-Porte, and the roster has grown to 72 talents through the fourth booster pack, Grand Resonance.
The first year produced a steady release cadence. Grand Resonance shipped July 17, 2026 with 81 regular cards, 35 parallel cards, 16 new leader cards, 8 SR cards, and a new CP rarity, plus a POP-UP STORE in Osaka that ran until July 26. A week earlier, KADOKAWA set a September 16, 2026 release for Xross Stars ART COLLECTION II, an art book with over 220 illustrations from the Exceed Rampage and Broken Neonlights booster packs. The anniversary on August 22 brought a limited pop-up store at SHIBUYA TSUTAYA from September 18 to 29 with a memorial gallery and a 3D card gate photo spot, plus a 65-card 1st Anniv. Collection PREMIUM SET. The third Challengers Cup 2026#03 OSAKA ran August 8-9 at OMM Exhibition Hall, the first Osaka stop among official events, drew over 2,000 entrants in the Grand Resonance environment, and was won by Zekemi.
A Media Create survey covering August 2025 to July 2026 put Xross Stars in the top 10 for share of Japan's domestic TCG market, without giving the specific rank or percentage. The fifth booster pack, Ignition Vortex, is set for October 30, 2026 at 475 yen, with 16 leader cards, 8 new and 8 returning, plus SR cards, four sleeve types, a playmat and a card case. A box holds 12 packs of 8 cards, and a box purchase bonus sleeve set is included at random.
The roster expansion reached outside the streaming and esports circuit with Yamada Ryosuke of Hey! Say! JUMP, who appears as the LEO card in Ignition Vortex. A signed LRPP LEO card carries the same stats as the standard LRP LEO but uses different art and a signature at a low inclusion rate. Ras of Crazy Raccoon and VTuber Shibuya Haru also appear in the set.
Key facts
- Developer
- Joint project between Game & Co., a subsidiary of Brave group, and Samurai Kobo, which operates the esports team Crazy Raccoon ↗
- Launch date
- August 22, 2025 ↗
- Market position
- Ranked in the top 10 for share of Japan's domestic TCG market in a Media Create survey covering August 2025 to July 2026; specific rank and share not disclosed ↗
- Roster size
- Grew from 24 people in the first set to 72 talents through the fourth booster pack Grand Resonance ↗
- Production staff
- Producer Atsutoshi Kubo of Game & Co., chairman Daichi Takano of Crazy Raccoon, lead game designer Shota Yasooka, development partner Sekappy ↗
- Next booster pack
- Ignition Vortex, the fifth booster pack, releases October 30, 2026 at 475 yen with 16 leader cards (8 new, 8 returning), SR cards, four sleeve types, a playmat and a card case; a box holds 12 packs of 8 cards ↗
- Signed card
- An LRPP LEO card carries the same stats as the standard LRP LEO but uses different art and a signature, at a low inclusion rate ↗
- Osaka tournament
- The third Xross Stars Challengers Cup 2026#03 OSAKA ran August 8-9 at OMM Exhibition Hall; over 2,000 entered the Grand Resonance environment event and Zekemi won, receiving a CHAMPION-spec foil-stamped playmat and the limited PR card All-Star Combo ↗
- Art book
- KADOKAWA releases Xross Stars ART COLLECTION II on September 16, 2026 with over 220 illustrations from the Exceed Rampage and Broken Neonlights booster packs and an original PP ticket card ↗
- Anniversary set
- The 1st Anniv. Collection PREMIUM SET includes 65 cards with newly drawn illustrations; a pop-up store runs September 18 to 29, 2026 at SHIBUYA TSUTAYA ↗
Timeline
- Sep 30, 2026 Xross Stars Booster Pack Vol. 5 Ignition Vortex Pre-Orders Open
- Sep 18, 2026 Xross Stars Enters Japan TCG Market Share Top 10 One Year After Release
- Sep 4, 2026 Xross Stars Adds Signed LEO Card Featuring Yamada Ryosuke
- Aug 22, 2026 Xross Stars Pop-Up Store and Anniversary Set Mark the Trading Card Game's First Year
- Aug 21, 2026 Xross Stars Osaka Cup Draws Over 2,000 Entrants, Zekemi Wins
- Aug 10, 2026 Yamada Ryosuke Joins TCG Xross Stars as LEO Card
- Jul 17, 2026 Xross Stars 'Grand Resonance' Booster Pack Released
- Jul 15, 2026 Xross Stars Art Book Second Volume Gets September Release Date
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Release
- game · 2026-10-30 · 2026-08-10
- Release
- game · August 2026 · Japan · 2026-09-18
- Release
- game · 2025-08-22 · 2026-08-22
- Announced
- pre-orders for the fifth booster pack, Ignition Vortex · 2026-09-30
- Announced
- events and Booster Pack Vol. 5 planned · 2026-09-18
- Announced
- pop-up store (SHIBUYA TSUTAYA) · 2026-08-22
- Announced
- 1st Anniv. Collection PREMIUM SET with 65 cards · 2026-08-22
- Noted
- The TCG Xross Stars will include a signed card for LEO, the Crazy Raccoon persona of talent Yamada Ryosuke. · 2026-09-04
- Noted
- brings together VTubers from Vspo!, Crazy Raccoon, and Neo-Porte · 2026-07-15
- Noted
- The pack is priced at 475 yen including tax. · 2026-08-10
Connections
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/xross-stars.
CC BY 4.0.
All coverage
Sep 30
Game & Co. opened pre-orders on Wednesday for Booster Pack Vol. 5 of its trading card game Xross Stars, titled Ignition Vortex. The set goes on sale Friday, October 30, 2026. One pack holds eight randomly enclosed cards and costs 475 yen, while a 12-pack box costs 5,700 yen and includes a box purchase bonus. The set adds 16 leader cards: eight new leaders and eight returning ones, with returning leaders drawn in new illustrations and card text. The new leader lineup includes names such as Akizuki Kohaku, Selly, dtto., LEO, Aoi Sakura, Kamito, Shibuya Haru, and tttcheekyttt. Three leaders return from earlier sets: Shinomiya Runa from Vol. 3, Raijin from Vol. 4, and Kozumi Sena from Vol. 1. Game & Co. is developing the game as a joint project with Samurai Koubou.
Sep 18
The trading card game Xross Stars has ranked in the top 10 for share of Japan's domestic TCG market, according to a Media Create survey covering August 2025 to July 2026. The specific ranking and share percentages were not disclosed. Xross Stars launched on August 22, 2025 as a joint project between Game & Co., a subsidiary of Brave group, and Samurai Kobo, which operates the esports team Crazy Raccoon. The game turns VTubers, streamers, and esports players into cards across agency lines. The first set featured 24 people, mainly from VSPO!, Crazy Raccoon, and Neo-Porte, and the roster has since grown to 72 talents through the fourth booster pack Grand Resonance. Production is led by producer Atsutoshi Kubo of Game & Co. and chairman Daichi Takano of Crazy Raccoon, with Shota Yasooka as lead game designer and Sekappy as development partner. The fifth booster pack, Ignition Vortex, is scheduled for October 30 with 16 leaders, including Ryosuke Yamada of Hey! Say! JUMP under the streamer name LEO.
Sep 4
The TCG Xross Stars will include a signed card for LEO, the Crazy Raccoon persona of talent Yamada Ryosuke. The LRPP LEO card carries the same stats as the standard LRP LEO but uses different art and a signature. It sits at a low inclusion rate. The fifth booster pack, Ignition Vortex, ships October 30 at 475 yen.
Aug 22
Game & Co. and Samurai Kobo's trading card game Xross Stars marks its first anniversary since the August 22, 2025 release. A limited-time pop-up store runs September 18 to 29, 2026, at SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, featuring a memorial gallery, a random card draw experience, and a 3D card gate photo spot. The 1st Anniv. Collection PREMIUM SET includes 65 cards with newly drawn illustrations.
Aug 21
The third Xross Stars Challengers Cup 2026#03 OSAKA was held August 8-9 at OMM Exhibition Hall, the first Osaka stop among official events. Over 2,000 people entered the Booster Pack 4 "Grand Resonance" environment tournament. "Zekemi" won the championship, receiving a CHAMPION-spec foil-stamped playmat and the limited PR card "All-Star Combo." The event also announced Booster Pack 5 "Ignition Vortex," scheduled for release on October 30, 2026.
Aug 10
Yamada Ryosuke, a member of the idol group Hey! Say! JUMP, will appear as a card in the trading card game Xross Stars under his streamer name LEO. The card will be part of the 5th booster pack Ignition Vortex, scheduled for release on October 30. The pack is priced at 475 yen including tax. The same set will also include Ras, a streamer from the pro gaming team Crazy Raccoon, and VTuber Shibuya Haru. Xross Stars is co-developed by Brave group's subsidiary Game & Co. and Crazy Raccoon's operator Samurai Kobo. The game features active streamers, pro gamers, and VTubers as cards, with leader cards depicting the individuals themselves, as well as cards based on memorable moments from their streams. Yamada Ryosuke has been streaming gameplay of Apex Legends and ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN on his YouTube channel LEO no Asohiba, launched in 2021, which currently has 1.04 million subscribers. He joined Crazy Raccoon under the name LEO in August 2025. The announcement drew fan reactions such as "Where can I buy it??" and "LEO-sama's participation is seriously amazing."
Jul 17
SNS Game and Samurai Kobo released the fourth booster pack 'Grand Resonance' for the trading card game Xross Stars on July 17, 2026. The set includes 81 regular cards and 35 parallel cards, with 16 new leader cards and 8 SR cards. A new rarity 'CP' is introduced. A POP-UP STORE in Osaka runs until July 26, with a release event featuring talents Maza-3 and Obo on July 18.
Jul 15
KADOKAWA will release 'Xross Stars ART COLLECTION II' on September 16, 2026. The second art book for the trading card game features over 220 illustrations from the 'Exceed Rampage' and 'Broken Neonlights' booster packs. It includes an original PP ticket card. The game brings together VTubers from Vspo!, Crazy Raccoon, and Neo-Porte.