The Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship returns to Europe for the first time since 2019, with Paris set to host the 2025 event featuring TCG, Duel Links, and Master Duel competitions.
For the first time in history, Paris, France, will host the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025, bringing the global showdown of duelists to the heart of Europe. Set to take place from August 29th to 31st, 2025, at the Maison de la Mutualité, the prestigious event will serve as the epic conclusion to the 2024/25 Yu-Gi-Oh! competitive season.
This marks the World Championship’s long-awaited return to European soil, the first since Berlin, Germany, hosted the event in 2019. That year’s tournament was the final edition before a four-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, making Paris 2025 a significant milestone in the championship’s legacy.
The event will feature four main competitions across different formats of the franchise:
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (TCG)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links – Speed Duel format
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links – Rush Duel format
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
As the season-ending championship, the tournament will determine the world’s best players in each category. A total of 20 events make up the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series leading to Paris, with the season having begun in August 2024. Prior to the grand finale, regional events in Providence, Rhode Island, and Quito, Ecuador, will take place in May 2025, helping finalize the roster of competitors for the World Championship.
Currently, 14 players have qualified across the four categories, with more to be confirmed following upcoming qualifiers. Standout names include Sebastian ‘Shelmy’ Villarroel, the defending Duel Links World Champion, and Ruben Penaranda, who took the TCG crown in 2024.
In recent years, trading card games (TCGs) like Yu-Gi-Oh! have surged in both popularity and value. With fans clamoring to collect and compete with the most powerful cards, TCGs have carved out a space not only in casual play but also in esports ecosystems. Alongside Yu-Gi-Oh!, franchises like Pokémon continue to dominate the TCG scene.
Even major video game developers are getting in on the trend. Earlier this year, Riot Games announced Riftbound, a trading card game based on its League of Legends universe. With a planned launch in China in Summer 2025, the title will introduce two card sets and a beginner-friendly “Proving Grounds” collection, signaling growing industry investment in the digital card game genre.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025 promises to be a major international event, uniting card game enthusiasts, esports fans, and top-tier duelists in one of Europe’s most iconic cities. As anticipation builds, all eyes are on Paris to deliver one of the most exciting showdowns in competitive TCG history.
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