Neopets Battledome Trading Card Game
Neopets, the beloved browser game from the early 2000s, is bringing back one of its most iconic games with a new Trading Card Game. The Neopets Battledome, which saw players sending their Neopets to fight against one another in a turn-based combat system, will see a new iteration as Neopets announces the Neopets Battledome trading card game. The nostalgia-inducing announcement comes hot on the heels of Neopets announcing its separation from its NFT-selling parent company, meaning the enduring legacy of Neopets shows no signs of stopping.
The Neopets Battledome trading card game is being developed by Upper Deck, the same company currently embroiled in a legal battle with Ravensburger over alleged copyright infringement regarding its Disney Lorcana card game. Upper Deck is charged with copying artwork from a number of Disney films for use in Lorcana, and while Neopets was not involved in the initial accusations, it will now inherit them as a subsidiary of the parent company.
Despite this legal battle, Neopets has moved forward with its new trading card game. Neopets Battledome is set to release in 2024, coinciding with the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The two-player TCG will feature a unique dice combat system, innovative deck building strategies, and over 20 Neopets to collect.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Upper Deck on this incredibly fun project,” Neopets CEO Doug Dohring says. “Fans have been asking for a Neopets Battledome card game for years, and we’re excited to bring it to life at last.”
The Battledome was where players would send their Neopets to fight in the browser game – it’s where the name of the game comes from. Neopets has also announced that the game will showcase over 250 unique pieces of custom art from various artists, which will appear on cards and in the game’s packaging.
Attendees of Gen Con in August will have the opportunity to get a preview of the game, which will release in full in 2024. A physical product from Neopets has once again proven that the internet of 20 years ago, like Myspace, MSN Messenger, and Neopets itself, represents a bygone era. But despite surviving and separating from its NFT-selling parent company, Neopets continues to thrive.
Perhaps Neopets holds a special place in our hearts because it represents a different time, a different internet. Or maybe it’s just cute. Whatever it is, the announcement of a physical product in 2023 adds to the enduring legacy of Neopets, a website that has survived the test of time.
