Disney’s move into trading cards

Walt Disney’s convoluted flow chart of revenue streams is getting a new addition.

Earlier this month, Disney released the first batch of trading cards from its upcoming game, “Lorcana,” and they’re already fetching $2k+ on the resale market, per Polygon.

Lorcana was designed…

… in collaboration with board game maker Ravensburger, and is set for a fall 2023 release.

Few details have been released about actual gameplay, but some hints have been dropped about the characters and setting:

• Who: Disney representatives said the game will pull from Disney’s massive catalog of animated characters, but likely won’t dip into other owned properties (e.g., Marvel and Star Wars).
• Where: “Lorcana” is expected to take place in a magical world, and analysts believe “Disney Mirrorverse,” a mobile game the company released in June, could provide a glimpse.

Disney said it hopes to attract both Disney fans who are new to trading card games, and trading card vets looking for a new game.

But why trading cards?

The market, which saw a sharp resurgence during the pandemic, is estimated at $6B+ globally.

• Pokemon cards became so popular that Target stopped selling them over security concerns.
• “Magic: The Gathering,” an OG card game, pulls in ~$1B annually.

Combining its classic characters into one overarching storyline could allow Disney to create a new Marvel-like multiverse that they can repurpose across films and video games.

Picture “Super Smash Bros,” but with Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, and Cruella de Vil.