Disney Lorcana is showing no signs of slowing down three years after its launch, with a growing base of players who now gather regularly at local game shops. What began with cautious scepticism among tabletop gamers has developed into a title that draws committed communities to weekly play sessions.
Many players who once adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the trading card game now own multiple decks and treat it as a fixture of their gaming routine. The appeal stretches well beyond dedicated Disney enthusiasts, encompassing newcomers who have never played another trading card game as well as collectors drawn primarily to the artwork.
A Standout Presence at D23
The scale of the game’s momentum was evident at this year’s D23, where publisher Ravensburger presented a considerably larger booth than at Disney’s convention two years earlier. The space featured a substantial play area, a retail section and a dedicated area for an in-person treasure hunt known as a Collector Quest, in which participants locate four cards inside booster packs and trade them in for a rarer card with a foiled background.
The Collector Quest proved so popular that it filled more than six large nearby tables, with attendees searching booster packs and helping one another reach their goals. A tournament involving more than 120 players ran in the middle of the convention, complete with cameras and colour commentary. It ranked among the busiest booths on the show floor not entirely dedicated to shopping.
Listening to a Broad Audience
Co-creator Ryan Miller attributes much of the game’s success to a measured approach that avoids being overly reactive. He noted that being a physical product makes rapid change difficult in some respects, but that the team can respond more nimbly through communication with its audience and through play programmes.
Miller stressed the importance of customer feedback, adding that the team aims to listen to as many people as possible, including those beyond the spaces it already knows well. Experience across the team also plays a central role. Miller himself is an industry veteran of more than 25 years, with time at Wizards of the Coast among other companies.
That expertise was visible at the booth, where a single Ravensburger employee played Pack Rush and two other Lorcana games against multiple players at once, ensuring each participant enjoyed the session, felt supported and learned ways to improve. Knowledge of the cards, the lore and upcoming releases was shared across the staff, with everyone contributing to helping players of every level engage with the game.
