Bandai Namco officially announced the digital card gameDigimon Alysionafterteasing its existence with a video.It will be a free-to-play title on iOS and Android adapting the current Digimon Card Game, and its announcement comes as Digmon’s rival franchise, Pokémon, is dominating the mobile digital card game space.
The brief but flashy first trailer forDigimon Alysioncame out during the Digimon Con 2025 event, during which anew Digimon anime series was also announced.A release date forDigimon Alysionis unknown at this time, but the trailershows various details, including what the game board and cards will look like and the main cast of characters.
Everything We Know About Digimon Alysion
Matchmaking And A Story Mode Could Be On The Horizon
The announcement trailer shows off gameplay, with the game board and cards (unsurprisingly) resembling how they do in the real-life card game. Menu footage also shows cute pixel representations of a few Digimon. The trailer also shows a glimpse of online matchmaking between different players. All in all, playingDigimon Alysionlooks just like playing the physical version, albeit with some fun digital effects.
New Digimon Anime Announced, Setting the Show’s Future After Its Hiatus
It’s been about two years since Digimon last released a new anime, and following Digimon Con 2025, the next anime might be closer than fans think.
The announcement also shows what appears to be a story mode. The characters shown in theDigimon Alysiontrailer include Kanata Hondo, who appears to be the protagonist, Valner Dragnogh, Futre, and a new Digimon named Gemmon partnered with Kanata. The Digimon Renamon also features in the trailer, having been hinted at in the game’s initial teaser. Other Digimon seen are Agumon, Gabumon, and their respective Mega forms.
Our Take: Pokémon TCG May Have A Worthy Competitor
While there have been various iterations of Digimon collectible card games since the late 1990s, the latest iteration of Digimon Card Game was initially released in Japan in 2020, followed by a global release a year later. However, there was no digital release for the game — only a companion tutorial app that instructed players on the game’s rules.The release ofDigimon Alysionwill make the card game available to players who may not have experienced itwhile enticing those who are already fans.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game has had a notable resurgence with the digital release ofPokémon TCG Pocket,which has seen massive success. The game is widely accessible and has all kinds of players, from those solely focused on their collection to those who are intently competitive while keeping an eye on the metagame.
One point of interest forPokémon TCG Pocket is how the battles are generally much shorter than the standard TCG, with players needing 3 points to win a match as opposed to collecting 6 prize cards. We’ll see upon its release ifDigimon Alysionwill also alter the rules similarly or if it will be a closer adaptation.Between the diverse player base, fast battles, and general accessibility ofPokemon TCG Pocket, its Digimon counterpartwill have a lot to live up to. If Bandai Namco delivers interesting features and long-term support,Digimon Alysioncan finally provide some competition.
