Bandai Namco has just revealed a brand-new Saturday Tournament format: Pilot Version!
Unlike the standard meta, this experimental format shakes things up by banning the top-performing Leaders, opening the door for off-meta strategies and underdog picks to finally shine.
Since it’s still in testing, player feedback will be crucial in deciding whether this format sticks around. Personally, I’m excited—this is the perfect chance to dust off forgotten cards, brew creative decks, and discover which Leaders can rise in a meta without the usual heavyweights.
It’s uncharted territory, and that means anything is possible—we may even see Leaders that have never made a competitive showing take the spotlight!
Details
Period
October 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2025
Overview
A test event designed for casual players to enjoy playing the game.
We will be taking surveys and if the player reviews are positive more tournaments for casual players will be planned and adjusted based on the feedback received.
Format
Tournament format: the host store can choose from the formats below
- 1 Constructed
- 2 Deck Limited (Detailed regulations are below. The Leader cards players can choose from exclude the 10 most popular ones seen in tournaments.)
- 3 Sealed format
- 4 Demo trial sessions
- 5 Other formats (Stores can choose other known formats as well)
Capacity
16 players
Prize List
Participation
Gold Don!! Card
Application Method
Event search keyword: Saturday Tournament
Prohibited Leaders
All ten of these Leaders have dominated the OP12 meta, with most competitive players gravitating toward them. By banning every single one, Bandai is forcing a complete shake-up—local tournaments are about to feature decks we’ve never really seen in the spotlight!
Black Rob Lucci, Blue Buggy, and Purple Luffy feel like natural contenders to rise to the top. But this shift also opens the door for Leaders who’ve been hanging around the edges of the meta like Blue Yellow Nami, Yellow Kid, Red/ reen Smoker, and Green Purple Lim to finally gain more representation.
We’ll see how the first week of the pilot version goes! And the neat thing is, this format can continue to evolve, with Bandai banning strong, meta-defining cards, even outside of Leaders, keeping the game fresh and rewarding players who want to escape the usual competitive grind.
