FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2019 NORTH AMERICA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER & 2019 NORTH AMERICA DRAGON DUEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER SCHEDULED FOR PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
World Qualifying Points Playoff to Award Invites to World Championship!
El Segundo, Calif. (June 6, 2019) – For thousands of Duelists all across Canada and the United States, it all comes down to this: one final showdown to decide who will represent North America at the 2019 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship! On June 21 – 23 Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KONAMI) is proud to return to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the mightiest Duelists from all corners of the United States and Canada will be in attendance to compete in the 2019 North America World Championship Qualifier (WCQ).
For the past year, countless fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) have honed their skills, practiced their plays, and worked day in and day out to perfect their Decks. Now we reach the conclusion of those titanic efforts for the most star-studded weekend of the Dueling year and one of the most intense competitions on the continent. Along with the 2019 North America Dragon Duel WCQ, two Championships will be determined, and at the end of the weekend, two winners will earn one of the highest accolades of the year: the title of North America WCQ Champion and Dragon Duel Champion. Both tournaments are open only to those who have earned their invitation through opportunities earlier in the 2018-2019 season, and that means a stacked field of incredible Dueling talent.
For the brave few competitors whose skill, endurance, and sheer luck are enough to bring them to the top of the heap, the richest prizes await, because when the WCQ main event is over and one Champion remains, all four Finalists will punch their ticket to the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Berlin, Germany, with travel and accommodations courtesy of KONAMI. And while the final Rounds of the WCQ will pit those last four Duelists against one another as they vie for the title of North America WCQ Champion, they’ll have to set aside all rivalries and work together to represent North America at the World Championship itself.
But that’s not all, because the North America WCQ offers an incredible spread of prizes to all top finishers! For nearly a year, the YCS Prize Card Chaos Emperor, the Dragon of Armageddon has enticed thousands of Duelists to test their mettle in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series, a card so powerful it’s an instant upgrade to one of the most popular Decks of the year. Now, at the North America WCQ, all Top 32 finishers will win a Super Rare copy just for reaching the Top Cut, along with a 2019 WCQ Top Cut Game Mat exclusive to the event.
Top finishers in the North America Dragon Duel WCQ will also have the chance to prove themselves and win tremendous prizes for their efforts, some exclusive to the Dragon Duel division. Showcasing the continent’s greatest youth Duelists born 2006 or later, both Finalists in the Dragon Duel WCQ will be awarded travel and accommodations to compete in the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Berlin. Each Finalist will also receive two copies of the Super Rare YCS Prize Card along with other prizes, and all Top 8 finishers will take home one copy of the YCS Prize Card and a Dragon Duel WCQ Top Cut Mat.
Pre-registration for the North America WCQ will open from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday, June 21 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. All Duelists who pre-register and submit their valid Deck List on Friday will receive one of the NEW! Pre-Registration Dice featuring Spell and Trap icons, blind packed. Registration will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday June 22 continuing to 9:45 a.m, with Round 1 of the WCQ main event beginning promptly at 10 a.m. The Dragon Duel WCQ will begin at 9:00 a.m Sunday June 23. All Duelists will receive an exclusive WCQ Game Mat and WCQ Sleeves upon registering. The North America WCQ and North America Dragon Duel WCQ will be played in the Constructed Advanced Format. Attendees can find the answers to many questions here:
https://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/2019/2019WCQ_NorthAm_info.html
Event Address:
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Hall A
1000 Ft. Duquesne Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
http://www.pittsburghcc.com
The WCQ and Dragon Duel WCQ are the focal point of the North America WCQ weekend, but that’s not all! For the first-time ever, the North America WCQ will be preceded by a new featured tournament: the World Qualifying Points Playoff. Over the course of the 2018-2019 Tournament season, Duelists have earned World Qualifying Points by competing in everything from Regional Qualifiers and Dragons Duels, to OTS Championships and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series.
On Friday, June 21 the Top 16 point-earners present at the North America WCQ may register for the Playoff. If any of the Top 16 point-earners are not present by 2:00 p.m. the opportunity to compete in the Playoff will pass to the next highest point-earners of the season. The Top 16 will play single-elimination – until only the Top two Duelists remain, each of which will earn an invite to the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Berlin with paid travel and accommodations. The remaining competitors will be invited to enter the North America WCQ with VIP status, a 2-Round Bye, assigned seating and special coverage opportunities. All competitors in the World Qualifying Points Playoff will receive a Super Rare copy of the YCS Prize Card. The Dueling world will be watching as North America’s first two representatives are selected, giving some of the year’s best and most consistent Duelists their deserved reward! More details about the Playoff can be found here:
https://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/wcs/wcspoint_FAQs.html
The North America WCQ weekend will also feature some special guests: the voices of Joey Wheeler (Wayne Grayson) and Ishizu Ishtar (Nell Balaban, A.K.A. Karen Neil) will both be in attendance for autograph sessions, and a live duel performance! Always a fan-favorite, the live duel is a scripted event pitting some of your favorite Duelists head-to-head in the unique real-life setting of the North America WCQ. In addition, a pop-up store will be onsite for the weekend featuring new Yu-Gi-Oh! branded goods from FYE. T-shirts, candy bars, and more will be available for purchase, giving you a chance to unleash your inner Duel fan. Get your game on with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon T-shirt and “Berry Blast” chocolate bar debuting June 6, as well as the “Berry Blast” cereal hitting shelves June 20.
An expansive range of Public Events will be offered all weekend long including Last Chance WCQs on Friday. Only Duelists who do not already have an invite to the North America WCQ may participate in any Last Chance WCQ. Other Public Events will include 2020 Regional Qualifiers; Ultimate Duelist Series (UDS) Qualifiers; 3 vs. 3 Team Tournament play; two ATTACK OF THE GIANT CARD!! events; plus Win-A-Mat, Sealed Structure Deck, Sealed Starter Deck, Battle City, Yu-Gi-Oh! Day, Speed Dueling, Duelist League, and Duel Links tournaments, as well as a special Yu-Gi-Oh! Charity Event. A special Mega Duel returns, featuring the exciting new Speed Duel format, in which teams of Duelists challenge each other using life-sized game mats and giant cards. In addition to earning prizes for participating in these tournaments, Duelists will also receive prize tickets. These tickets can be redeemed for additional rewards at the Prize Wall.
Written articles, Feature Matches, Pairings and Standings will be available all weekend long on the Event Coverage blog, while Livestreams of Feature Matches and the Top Cut Matches will be streamed on the official Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialYuGiOhTCG
North America WCQ Prizing Information:
- 1st place – 2 Super Rare copies of the YCS Prize Card; WCQ Trophy; paid travel and accommodations to the 2019 World Championship with invite to compete; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; PlayStation®4 Pro System; WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; 18 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm; and 50 UDS Points.
- 2nd place – 2 Super Rare copies of the YCS Prize Card; WCQ Trophy; paid travel and accommodations to the 2019 World Championship with invite to compete; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; PlayStation®4 Pro System; WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; 12 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm; and 50 UDS Points.
- 3rd – 4th place – 2 Super Rare copies of the YCS Prize Card; WCQ Trophy; paid travel and accommodations to the 2019 World Championship with invite to compete; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; PlayStation®4 Pro System; WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; 9 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm; and 50 UDS Points.
- 5th – 8th place – Super Rare copy of the YCS Prize Card; WCQ Trophy; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; PlayStation®4 System; WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; and 6 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm.
- 9th – 16th place – Super Rare copy of the YCS Prize Card; complete set of Dark Neostorm; WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; and 6 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm.
- 17th – 32nd place – Super Rare copy of the YCS Prize Card and a WCQ Top Cut Game Mat.
All Duelists competing in the main event of the North America WCQ will be awarded a WCQ 2019 Game Mat and WCQ 2019 Sleeves for participating.
North America Dragon Duel WCQ Prizing Information:
- 1st place – 2 Super Rare copies of the YCS Prize Card; Championship Trophy; paid travel and accommodations to the 2019 Dragon Duel World Championship with invite to compete; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; PlayStation®4 Pro System; Dragon Duel WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; 12 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm; and 50 UDS Points.
- 2nd place – 2 Super Rare copies of the YCS Prize Card; Championship Trophy; paid travel and accommodations to the 2019 Dragon Duel World Championship with invite to compete; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; PlayStation®4 Pro System; Dragon Duel WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; 9 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm; and 50 UDS Points.
- 3rd – 4th place – Super Rare copy of the YCS Prize Card; Championship Trophy; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; Dragon Duel WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; and 6 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm.
- 5th – 8th place – Super Rare copy of the YCS Prize Card; Championship Trophy; complete set of Savage Strike and Dark Neostorm; Dragon Duel WCQ Top Cut Game Mat; and 3 Booster Packs each of Cybernetic Horizon, Soul Fusion, Savage Strike, and Dark Neostorm.
All Duelists competing in the main event of the North America Dragon Duel WCQ will be awarded a Dragon Duel WCQ 2019 Game Mat and WCQ 2019 Sleeves for participating. Additional prize support will be provided if 129 or more Duelists compete in the Dragon Duel WCQ.
