The details of the very first Grand Archive Trading Card Game World Championship have been announced late last week. It has been an exhilarating weekend for GA TCG players around the world as this announcement came in after two other big news. First is the release of the game’s third set, Alchemical Revolutions on January 26th. Second is the launch of their Organized Play Program along with the Omnidex – their official online platform where Grand Archive players can register and get up-to-date information about their ratings as well as events that are happening locally and abroad.

The Grand Archive World Championship features a $50,000 prize pool and will be held in Las Vegas, USA from May 10-12, 2024. Unlike most Trading Card Games where hundreds or thousands of eligible competitors fight for one of the playoff spots throughout a long weekend tournament, GA prefers to keep their Worlds a more private affair – it will be an invite-only event featuring the 16 best players in the world. This marks the end of a long, competitive journey for everyone who qualified. As a further bonus, GA promises to pay for the flight and accommodation of all 16 players!

To celebrate the momentous occasion, the World Championship will have an official broadcast with casters and commentaries! Open caster tryouts are being held at the time of this writing until April 2, 2024. Anyone interested can simply send their demo reel to [email protected] under the subject title “Worlds Commentator + [your name]”. It’s suggested to submit your entries early as the caster slots can be filled already even before the final submission date.

The Road to Worlds

The path to becoming the first Grand Archive World Champion starts by earning a Nationals Qualifier. There are multiple ways to earn one: by winning a Store Championship, getting Top 4 in a Regional, or placing in the Top 16 of an Ascent.

After getting a Nationals Invite, the next step is to join the Nationals tournament and win one of the allocated spots in the World Championship. It’s a little different from other games, but Grand Archive’s Nationals are region-wide events hosted in three different countries: the North American Nationals happens on March 2-3, 2024 at Game Guys in Houston, Texas, USA, the Southeast Asian Nationals will be held on March 16-17, 2024 at Agora Hobby in Singapore, and finally the Oceania Nationals is scheduled on March 23-24, 2024 at Plenty of Games in Melbourne, Australia. Each of these three regions has allocated spots: North America has 8 spots, and Southeast Asia and Oceania get 4 each.  In addition to the World Championship spots, each of the Nationals has a $10,000 minimum prize pool.

Ascent Worlds

Non-qualified players still have plenty of reasons to join the World Championship festivities as an Ascent event will be running alongside it that has two paths: The Path of Steel, and the Path of Silver. The Path of Steel event will feature a 3v3 format called Team Standard, where the game knowledge and creativity of each team are tested as they are given unique restrictions to build their deck around. The Path of Silver is a unique, collector-centric competition that had a successful first run in Ascent Houston. In this format, competitors craft a deck from their collection that allows them to score the highest points possible. Each card has inherent point values that increase when they are part of a set – which are card combinations that award major points. Players are allowed to trade with each other to find the missing pieces for each set they’re trying to make. Tools for making this event easier, as well as full information on The Path of Silver, will be announced at a later date.

The Ascent Store

Tickets that come with the admission package and those earned by joining side events and other activities during the Worlds weekend can be spent at the Ascent Store. In addition to their usual merchandise, there are unique prizes to be bought such as Champion and Domain playmats, Uncut Sheets, and Promotional cards.

Mercurial Heart

An exclusive first look at Grand Archive’s 4th Set will be available at the World Championship where players can purchase tickets to join the launch party, open packs, and play with the new cards from the set!

Cosplay Contest

Along with its first World Championship, Grand Archive will also have its first official cosplay competition! Players can cosplay their favorite characters and cards, and the event will reward winners with prizes and Cosplay Contest-exclusive promos.

Art Gallery Showcase

An art gallery will be at the World Championships and feature some of the iconic artwork in the game. It was also hinted that it would showcase concept art that never made it to the final version of the game, or is reserved for future use.

Trade Night and Afterparty

Grand Archive will have its official Trade Night on the Friday before Ascent Worlds. Entry to this event is included with every admission ticket, and players are encouraged to bring their binders, socialize, and have fun with the game’s community. An Afterparty will also be hosted after the closing ceremony on Sunday, with further details to be announced.

Check out Grand Archive and other great TCGs the you should play this year!

Read More:

–The Five New Trading Card Games You Should Play This Year