A Birthday for the Ages!

2025 has been an incredible year for trading card games. The local market has seen healthy growth in the number of fans looking to purchase products, and in the number of places where new and old fans alike can get their hands on their preferred items.

This past year has been an important stepping-stone for 2026 as we all learnt valuable lessons about demand, the make-up of local consumers, understanding the (intensive) TCG release cadence, and identifying trends.

Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, and Star Wars Unlimited have been stand-out performers and we are getting warmed up for Pokémon’s 30th anniversary next year. Fans can expect lots of exciting products, well-known characters and something for casual and entrenched fans. Given the milestone birthday, we expect many new fans to get into the hobby, and lapsed fans to re-engage with the brand. Pokémon is perfectly positioned for cross-generational appeal!

To kick things off, we can share some of the brand-new products that will be hitting shelves in the first quarter of the year.

Pokémon Day 2026 Collection (on sale 30 January) – just in time to help you celebrate International Pokémon Day on 27 February

We can also look forward to the Trainer's 2-Pack Blister , and to top-off January the first item from the new special expansion – Mega Evolution–Ascended Heroes - Tech Sticker Collection will release. Both items are on sale from 30 January.

Shifting gears to February and beyond, additional items from this special set include:

• 10-10315-101 Mega Evolution–Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer
• 10-10318-101 Mega Evolution–Ascended Heroes Mini Tins (on sale 20 February)

In March we continue the collector-fun with 10-10302-101 Mega Evolution–Ascended Heroes Premium Poster, featuring Mega Gardevoir ex and Mega Lucario ex.

2026 will be an exciting opportunity to celebrate the birthday of Pikachu and friends – get ready for a bumper year!

— Stefan, Product Manager

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs – Something About Dynamite and Small Packages

There’s no denying that Gloomhaven was one of the biggest board gaming hits of the last 10 years, winning 10 awards and being nominated for 8 more in its release year alone and spawning a number of sequels (and yes, I know Jaws of the Lion is technically a prequel, story-wise). There’s also no denying that Gloomhaven is a daunting game to get into, enormous in both the scope of its gameplay and its physical components. And that’s where Buttons & Bugs enters the picture.

Buttons & Bugs goes in the complete opposite direction to other games in the series in terms of its physical design. Designed to fit in the palm of your hand, it weighs only a few hundred grams. But make no mistake, there’s no slimming down on gameplay, components, or story here – this is a full Gloomhaven experience with a multi-scenario campaign, a large cast of playable characters each with their own miniatures, and plenty of loot to customise your chosen hero with. Things are just smaller this time around, which is blended seamlessly into the game’s narrative and never feels like it’s just a gimmick or a cheeky breaking of the 4th wall. It’s not Gloomhaven-lite, it’s Gloomhaven you can play on the go.

The one trade-off for all of this is that Buttons & Bugs is a purely single-player game, and how much that matters will depend entirely on your opinions as a gamer. I’ve never had particularly strong feelings one way or another, but with Buttons & Bugs it feels right somehow. Just like the small size the solo play feels intentionally designed, part of the challenge rather than just a gimmick or a constraint, and I can’t imagine it working any other way.

In the end, Buttons & Bugs is perfect for anyone who is on the fence about Gloomhaven, on the fence about solo play, or just looking for a strategic, big-box style adventure game in the smallest of small packages.

— Terry, Product Manager

Star Wars Unlimited Set 7 = A Lawless Time Preview

With the year racing to a close, it’s hard to believe Star Wars: Unlimited is nearing its second anniversary. Watching the game evolve has been incredible, with each new set bringing fresh new mechanics and excitement. The recent release of Secrets of Power in early November has kept the momentum high, and just when it felt like things couldn’t get any better, Fantasy Flight Games dropped a proton torpedo of an announcement: new details for Set 7, A Lawless Time, arriving in March 2026.

This new set shifts focus from politicians and power brokers to the criminals who operate outside the law. You can expect heists, raids, outlaws, & crime lords from across the Star Wars timeline, along with major gameplay shake-ups.

Something I am very excited for is the two new Spotlight Decks that will feature Jabba the Hutt and Leia Organa. Both decks will be introducing all new mechanics to the game. I hope you are ready for Credit tokens and Multi Aspect cards!

Jabba introduces Credit tokens, which can be defeated to help pay card costs. His abilities revolve around generating credits through Underworld units and turning those credits to your advantage throughout the game. This new special token can be defeated at any time to help you pay the resource cost of a card, whether it’s to play that card or trigger an ability on it.

Leia showcases the expansion’s second big innovation: multi-aspect cards, which carry two primary aspects and enable high-powered deckbuilding strategies. Rather than one primary and one Heroism/Villainy this new card format will have much more restrictive deckbuilding requirements, and the extra power to compensate for it!

Some examples of how this new “multi-aspect” will work has been shared by Fantasy Flight. Take a look at the previews below to see just how powerful these cards can be when used effectively.

And there you have it folks! With more than 260 new cards, new deckbuilding possibilities, and fresh mechanics, A Lawless Time is set to dramatically evolve Star Wars: Unlimited when it launches in March 2026. More previews and card reveals are on the way in the coming weeks and months so stay tuned for more updates. Until then , May the Force (and cards) be with you!

— Etienne, Product Manager

Your festive content vault is open and overflowing. This month, the Marketing Corner is packed with fresh, high-impact visuals and ready-to-use assets designed to make your shelves and socials shine.

You’ll find a full spread of resources across some of our biggest festive drivers — from bold, energetic Pokémon artwork to the warm, family-friendly charm of Trefl Puzzles. Our Doctor Squish assets bring bright, squishy fun into every corner of your merchandising, while the Slush Puppie library is loaded with cool, colourful lifestyle shots perfect for summer storytelling.

And that’s just the start. With new product ranges landing, you’ll also discover content for kites, face paints, and more — all crafted to help you build displays, boost engagement, and keep the festive momentum going strong.

Dive in, download what you need, and give your customers something to smile about this season.

Empowering Your Game, Empowering Your Community

Play Portal is the organized play platform from Unplug Yourself, offering a structured way for retailers to create organizations for players to participate in competitive play, social events, and casual gaming sessions.

Why Should You Join the Platform?

• View and track all rankings per system, per league nationally
• Access to current hottest meta deck lists
• Community growth & belonging
• Access to exclusive “by invite only” events & gatherings

Available Leagues:

• Star Wars Unlimited League
• One Piece Straw Hat League
• Catan National League

Sign up here: www.goplay.co.za

Follow @unplugyourselffza and your nearest participating retailers for league dates, updates, and how to register.

On the 14th of November, the South African Magic the Gathering community came together across South Africa to celebrate the life and legacy of Joe Eckard, a true legend of Dragon Town and a beloved figure in the South African tabletop space.

From Cape Town to Johannesburg, Durban to Bloemfontein, and everywhere in between, over 650 players joined in for an unforgettable #ForJoe tribute night. Tables were filled, decks were shuffled, stories were shared, and laughter echoed just the way Joe would have wanted.

Each participating store added their own touch, from special memorial matches and casual Commander pods to giveaways, artwork displays, and moments of reflection on memories of Joe. Together, we created something truly special: a night that reminded us why this community is like no other.

To every player, retailer, and friend who took part, thank you for helping us honour Joe’s incredible legacy and the joy he brought to the game.He built a community, we’ll keep it going.

Here are just a few moments from that special night...

🎄 Festive Season Closure Notice 🎄

As the year draws to a close, please take note of our upcoming annual festive break:

• Annual Closure: Thursday, 18 December 2025
• Reopening: Monday, 5 January 2026

Our team will be unavailable during this period. Final operations wrap up on 18 December before we close for the holidays. Normal business will resume on 5 January 2026.

We encourage you to place any urgent orders well in advance to ensure smooth fulfilment before the break.