Yu-Gi-Oh! GENESYS Format Announced
Overview
Konami have announced the introduction of Yu-Gi-Oh! GENESYS - "a brand new way to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME". The format throws out the current Forbidden & Limited List, removes all Link Monsters and Pendulums from the format and adds a new "point-based system" for deck construction.
Here's what Konami have announced thus far:
What is GENESYS?
The Genesys rules are simple:
- No Link Monsters or Pendulum Monsters are allowed. All other cards are allowed. The original field layout is used, with no Extra Monster Zones nor Pendulum Zones
- The standard Forbidden & Limited Cards list is not used. All those cards can be used, except Link Monsters and Pendulum Monsters. Usual limit of 3 copies max of any card still applies.
- Deck construction uses a point system. Some cards are assigned a point value; most cards cost zero points. The total point cost of cards in your Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck combined cannot exceed the point cap for that event.
- The standard point cap is 100, but events can be run with any point cap, or even a zero-point cap! Official Tournament Stores can set their own caps for their tournaments.
- For example, playing Loading... would take up all of your 100 available Points whereas a card like Loading... costs 50 points, so you could play 2 but nothing else with a Point cost. You could run 3x Loading... for 90 points total, but not have enough points to run powerful board breakers or handtraps!
Genesys is a fully supported tournament system we've been working on for over 2 years, that you can now play at your local Official Tournament Store, and soon at the YCS level! (And a lot of Duelists have already played it – all of the Rivalry of Warlords Decks at the World Championship Qualifier were actually Genesys Decks. Surprise!)
GENESYS at Tournaments
We're going to be in early access for a bit. During early access, we’ll have a browser-based Deck builder site to build your Deck List, have it count up your point cost and make sure your Deck is legal, and download a copy to print out and take to a tournament.
Official Tournament Stores can run officially-sanctioned Genesys events starting today!
After a couple weeks, we’ll start running Genesys Invitationals at major events like the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series.
Genesys Invitationals
- Multiple 16-player mini-tournaments will be run on Saturday.
- The 1st and 2nd place finishers in each of those get to play in the main Invitational held on Sunday of that event.
- We’ve dug into the vault for some special prizes to hand out, like original 2009 SJC Loading... prize cards, plus Giant Cards like a super-sized Loading... !
- Genesys Invitationals are planned for the following YCS events: YCS Anaheim (October 4/5), YCS Sao Paulo (October 11/12), YCS Pittsburg (November 8/9), YCS Merida (November 29/30) and for European players Genesys kicks off with an Invitational at YCS Bologna on November 22/23!
- The first North American full-on Genesys YCS (where the main event itself will be Genesys format) is coming in 2026.
Who Is GENESYS for?
- Duelists looking for a less complicated game.
- Duelists who are new to the game.
- Duelists who have always had a favorite Deck, and want their favorite Deck to be a little more competitive.
- Anybody looking for a new experience or change of pace.
- Duelists who love love love a Deck-building challenge.
- Everyone who just can’t get enough Dueling!
Official Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Website