LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER | LAS VEGAS, NV | 2026
BANDAI CARD GAMES Fest 25–26 with Toy & Hobby Expo
Las Vegas — National Finals & Gundam Assemble Launch
A flagship competitive event and breakout product launch in one footprint.
BANDAI CARD GAMES Fest Las Vegas brought together North America’s top competitive players and hobby fans for a two-day flagship event with over 9,000 attendees. The experience combined NA Championship Finals for ONE PIECE card game, Digimon card game, Gundam card game, and Union Arena card games, a large-scale side event ecosystem, full retail activation with exclusive product drops, entertainment installations and fan photo moments, the first major public demo experience for Gundam Assemble, and onsite influencer and media activations featuring more than 20 talent.
Play Interactive curated the entire 360 experience through logistics, production, experiential design, and creator coordination, delivering both high-stakes competition and a premium discovery environment for a major upcoming tabletop release.
A full competitive ecosystem designed for scale, clarity, and competitive integrity.
Play supported the full competitive ecosystem for One Piece Card Game Championship Finals, Digimon Card Game Championship Finals, Gundam Card Game Championship Finals, and UNION ARENA Championship Finals.
- Venue logistics and full operations
- Tournament operations
- Judge and staff management
- Broadcast coordination and feature match flow
- Competitor-only access control
- Side event staffing and scaling
- Influencer recruitment, contracting, management, and deliverable follow-up
A premium discovery zone built for hands-on play and high-dwell engagement.
Gundam Assemble was positioned as a premium discovery zone within the Fest, designed for controlled demo flow, spectator-friendly layouts, dedicated filming-friendly areas, high dwell-time engagement, and seamless traffic integration with the tournament floor.
Over two days, hundreds of attendees experienced hands-on gameplay, many encountering the product for the first time.
- Controlled demo flow with guided facilitators
- Spectator-friendly layouts
- Dedicated filming-friendly areas
- High dwell-time engagement
- Integrated traffic flow with the wider event floor
Championship integrity, retail demand, and new product discovery had to coexist without friction.
- Execute multi-title National Finals without operational overlap
- Maintain player integrity and broadcast-ready production
- Manage retail demand and crowd flow at scale
- Introduce Gundam Assemble as a premium experience, not a side attraction
- Coordinate creators without disrupting competitive play
A high-stakes event environment that still created room for discovery, fandom, and content.
Seamless finals execution
Four National Championship Finals ran within one event ecosystem without compromising operational clarity.
Strong side event participation
Structured events and on-demand pods kept players engaged across both days.
Retail throughput with managed congestion
Queue systems and slot management protected fairness while sustaining premium product access.
Breakout launch visibility
Gundam Assemble achieved high booth engagement and repeat traffic within a crowded championship environment.
Creator-led amplification
Onsite creator participation extended event reach beyond the venue through authentic content capture.
Community + competition in balance
Entertainment zones and photo moments expanded the event beyond competitive play without diluting the finals atmosphere.
A structured creator program that turned the booth into a live content engine.
- Pre-event creator outreach and scheduling
- Dedicated demo windows for filming
- Interview coordination with Bandai representatives
- On-site check-in and floor management
- Clear messaging tied to upcoming product updates
The activation generated first-look gameplay reactions, social walkthroughs, interview clips, and organic hype cycles from creators already embedded in the TCG and hobby ecosystems.
Fair access, better flow, and more shareable fan moments.
- Structured retail queue system
- Randomized slot notifications
- Badge-based access management
- Finals competitor prioritization
- Giant ONE PIECE card installation
- Branded photo backdrops
- Open fan gathering zones
- Cosplay-friendly visual installations
Competition, community, and content can coexist when the operation is built for all three.
BANDAI CARD GAMES Fest Las Vegas showcased how a championship environment can support premium fan experiences, high-demand retail, and a major new product introduction at the same time. The event demonstrated Play Interactive’s ability to execute complex competitive infrastructure while building the kind of creator-ready, community-focused environment that drives both in-person engagement and post-event reach.
Copyright & Rights Information
ONE PIECE Card Game: ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation | Digimon Card Game: ©Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei Animation | UNION ARENA: ©BANDAI | JUJUTSU KAISEN: © Gege Akutami/Shueisha, JUJUTSU KAISEN Project | HUNTER × HUNTER: ©P1998-2024 ©V・N・M | BLEACH: © Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV TOKYO, dentsu, Pierrot | CODE GEASS: ©SUNRISE／PROJECT L-GEASS, Character Design ©2006-2017 CLAMP・ST | DEMON SLAYER: ©Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable | ONE-PUNCH MAN: ©ONE, Yusuke Murata/SHUEISHA, Hero Association HQ | GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE: ©SHIFT UP CORP. | Gundam Assemble: ©SOTSU・SUNRISE, ©SOTSU・SUNRISE・MBS | Gundam Card Game: ©SOTSU・SUNRISE, ©SOTSU・SUNRISE・MBS