Hope and Despair, the new expansion for War of the Ring – The Card Game is announced for release in October 2026. The new expansion introduces Story cards, a new type of faction card inspired by key moments from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which add powerful new abilities, deck customization, and deeper tactical choices to the game. Along with the expansion, a new accessory will arrive: six Deluxe Playmats featuring iconic characters and Middle-earth locations, designed to enhance every game with dedicated card layouts and stunning artwork by John Howe.
Drawing on Tolkien’s rich lore and the emotional depth of Middle-earth, the Story cards introduced by Hope and Despair represent the natural and supernatural forces that shape the fate of its peoples, offering new strategic options, greater replayability, and additional content, making every adventure in Middle-earth even more immersive. Unlike other faction cards, Story cards are played only to Reserve and remain there for the rest of the round, providing unique effects that can influence the course of the game. The expansion also includes additional cards for the Northmen, Easterling, and Ruffian factions introduced in the Fire and Swordsexpansion, for use in scenarios featuring those factions, dedicated Shadow Bot cards for solo and cooperative play, Story tokens, and rules for integrating the new mechanics.
The Deluxe Playmats combine functionality and collectible appeal. Produced in high quality neoprene, and with an optimized 61 x 36 cm (about 24” x 14”) playing area, these playmats feature iconic War of the Ring – The Card Game artwork for every faction and player configuration, from 2 to 6 players. They are offered in a complete set, or individually, in six versions – three for the Free Peoples (Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn) and three for the Shadow (Saruman, the Witch-king, plus a double-sided The Balrog/Bill Ferny).
Each playmat features an illustration of a location from the saga associated with its featured character and is finished with finely stitched edges. Elegant markings indicate the draw deck and discard pile positions in the lower-left corner, while the remaining mat area has space for cards in Reserve and in Play. The playmats are scheduled to release in October 2026, together with Hope & Despair.
The Pre-order Offer
Ares Games is offering a pre-order bundle, including both the Hope and Despairexpansion, with two promo cards (“Not by the Hand of Man” – a Free People card – and “Beyond All Darkness“– a Shadow Player card), and theDeluxe Playmats Complete Set, at the discounted price of $120, with free shipping to European Union and Contiguous USA.
The expansion and the playmats can also be pre-ordered separately, with subsidized shipping charges ($ 13 for EU and Contiguous USA):
● Hope and Despair with 2-card promo set– $24.90 ● Deluxe Playmats Complete Set – $99 (instead of $154.40 for six individual mats) ● Deluxe Playmat (Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, The Witch-king, Saruman) – $24.90 each ● Deluxe Playmat (The Balrog Deluxe Playmat (Double-sided)) – $29.90
Become a fantasy campaign manager! Draft diverse and thematic characters in Mercenaries Wanted, designed by Dennis Vögele, one of the lead designers from Gloomhaven. Return to the world of Gloomhaven in this strategic drafting-card game for 1-6 players ages 14+.
Draft diverse and thematic characters from across all Gloomhaven titles (Gloomhaven, Frosthaven, Jaws of the Lion) in this strategic card game designed for both new and old fans of the Gloomhaven universe. Featuring art from Yanis Cardin, Phan Tuan Dat, Alexandr Elichev, and Phil Stone.
As head of a Mercenary Company, it’s your job to find the best recruits the city has to offer. Or at least the most promising ones. Are they breathing? Let’s be honest, you’ll take what you can get in the city of Gloomhaven. The job boards are full today and work goes quickly. It will take a keen eye to draft a team of freelancers capable of coordinating their powers, hustling after jobs, and procuring the most coin…for your coffers. Recruit, equip, deploy, and out-hire your competitors to become the most infamous Mercenary Company in Casskia. So get to it! The unemployment line is drying up… MERCENARIES WANTED.
In Mercenaries Wanted you take on the role of a mercenary company leader, recruiting mercenaries to complete jobs for you. Assemble your teams carefully and send them out on assignment to earn the most gold. Between rounds, decide who to keep in your roster, who to promote, and who to let go. Race to complete jobs over several rounds before competing with your promoted mercenaries in a series of tournaments to earn the most fame and fortune.
Folks can sign up to be notified when preorders open in September. Cephalofair will be showing the game at Essen SPIEL in October. You can also swing by booth #351 during Gen Con to get a preview of Mercenaries Wanted before it’s December 4th release.
UVS Games has unveiled the 2027 roadmap for UniVersus, showcasing an exciting lineup of upcoming releases and giving players their first look at what’s ahead for one of tabletop gaming’s oldest card games.
Revealed through a new roadmap trailer, the 2027 lineup includes some of the most requested and recognizable franchises to ever join UniVersus, spanning anime, comics, and tabletop gaming.
Warhammer 40,000 arrives in UniVersus with a Booster Set, 2-Player Starter Deck, and more. From the myriad war zones of the Imperium to the horrific depths of the warp, players will be able to bring the unending conflict of the 41st Millennium to their UniVersus battles.
The roadmap also includes the arrival of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure with Challenger Series releases based on Golden Wind and Stone Ocean, the debut of Persona 5 Royal through two Challenger Series releases, and a new Critical Role Booster Set centered on Bells Hells from Campaign 3.
Some additional releases include two Challenger Series products based on Mike Mignola’s Hellboy universe and a full Booster Set inspired by Skybound’s Invincible comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley.
The 2027 roadmap continues UniVersus’ tradition of bringing together beloved franchises from across entertainment while expanding the game’s ever-growing roster of characters and worlds.
More details, including product information, card previews, release dates, and additional announcements, will be revealed throughout 2027.
Rocketship Entertainment heads to San Diego Comic-Con from July 22nd to 26th, 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center. The Rocketship Entertainment booth #2707 will be on the main show floor where fans can pick up graphic novels, games, merchandise, and the NARUTO Mythos Trading Card Game with an SDCC-exclusive card.
Author Brandon Lee, aka TurtleMe, creator of the mega-hit franchise The Beginning After the End will be making his San Diego Comic Con debut! To celebrate the print launch of the novel Rocketship has published a limited number of The Beginning After the End Volume 1 SDCC Exclusive “Grey for King Grey” Editions that will be available at the con and through Rocketship’s Comic Con @ Home sale for fans unable to attend. The Beginning After the End just wrapped its second season on Crunchyroll with the current season of the webtoon running on Tapas. TurtleMe will be signing free prints from the deluxe illustrated edition of the novel at the Rocketship booth on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with a different print available each day.
Leeanne M. Krecic, also known to fans as Mongie, will be appearing throughout the weekend in celebration of the long-anticipated launch of season 4 of Let’s Play exclusively on Tapas. A season 4 pre-launch episode is live now and the series officially returns on July 22nd, Preview Night of SDCC. Fans will be able to get a free print of the new Let’s Playcover art for the season 4 launch signed by Mongie. Volumes 1 through 5 of the graphic novel including the rare gamer variant covers will be available at the Rocketship booth along with other limited Let’s Play merchandise. The webtoon returns following the conclusion of season one of the hit anime on Crunchyroll and the launch of the Let’s Play: Everdate tabletop game!
Actors and creators David Dastmalchian and Leah Kilpatrick will be signing at the Rocketship booth on Thursday from 5 to 6pm. SDCC-exclusive editions of their new series, The Accessories will be available for purchase and all fans attending the signing will receive a free autographed print of the cover of The Accessories #1. After lifetimes in the background, three of history’s greatest horror sidekicks finally say what they’ve never dared to before: Enough is ENOUGH! Igor, Renfield, and Mrs. Hyde have aided their masters’ diabolical missions for decades, but today is the day they stop being loyal. Today the real horror walks out the front door. The Accessories launches in stores on August 5th from Rocketship and PANICK Entertainment.
Multiple Eisner Award-winning creator Sanford Greene will appear at the Rocketship booth on Thursday from 4 to 5pm and Sunday from 2 to 3pm for the launch of his Ringo Award-winning series 1000. All fans will receive a free 1000 print and there will be a limited number of the softcover and deluxe hardcover editions of the book available for the very first time.
Fans of Angry Birds will be treated to 2 signings by artist Thom Zahler and colorist M. Victoria Robado on Thursday from 2 to 3pm and again on Sunday from noon to 1pm with free prints of the wraparound cover to Angry Birds: The Haunting of Hog House which releases this November ahead of the The Angry Birds Movie 3 premiering December 23rd from Paramount Pictures. There will be more news and a special look at the upcoming graphic novel series from Rocketship at the Angry Birds and Palworld: Epic Games with Epic Toys! panel on Friday in Room 6BCF.
Additional creators signing at the booth throughout the weekend include Reilly Brown (Outrage), Ryan Cady(Wolfsbane), M. Victoria Robado (#Blessed), Thom Zahler (Cupid’s Arrows), Ryan Benjamin (Frostpunk, Stan Lee’s Genesis), David K. Wilson (Empiria), Adam Schlagman and Doug Pasko (T.A.M.A), Fernando Pinto (Gunpunch, Eat Fighter), Tom Akel (Backchannel, Stan Lee’s Genesis), Rob Feldman (Cyko KO), and Nate Lovettt (Commander Tomorrow). The full schedule will be posted at booth #2707.
As the exclusive partner of the North American launch, Rocketship is the only place at the con that fans can purchase booster packs, displays, and cases for the first trading card game from the world of NARUTO. One exclusive NARUTO Uzumaki – Shadow Clone Jutsu Mythos Rarity card comes with the purchase of every display box while supplies last. The sale will start on Preview Night with single packs, full display boxes, and full cases available while supplies last. Each morning of the con the game will be available for purchase from 9am to 10:30am with controlled inventory available for each day.
Entering the universe of NARUTO Mythos Trading Card Game Konoha Shido means living an adventure that combines strategy, collecting, and passion. It’s not only about building a winning deck, but about being transported into the beloved world of ninjas, where you can relive Naruto’s adventures in an immersive way, just like in the anime itself.
The collection is structured across multiple levels of power and rarity: from Common and Uncommon, also available in FullArt and Holo variants, to the Rare cards, which, when placed side by side, create spectacular images, up to the Rare ART, enriched with micro-engravings that turn them into authentic little jewels. Mysterious as ninjas, the Secret cards captivate with their sophisticated and precious design, embodying a charm that makes them among the most sought-after. At the top of the collection lies the unique and legendary Gold 22K, crafted in real gold a cult object, extremely rare, and the ultimate symbol of prestige and desire for every collector. A rich and unmissable collection, in which every card is a fragment of legend.
Both the NARUTO Mythos TCG and The Beginning After the End Volume 1 SDCC Exclusive “Grey for King Grey” Edition will be available to fans to order online through Rocketship’s Comic Con @ Home Sale running from Wednesday July 22nd through Sunday July 26th.
In addition to its activities at the booth, Rocketship Entertainment will be hosting the Taking Off with Rocketship Entertainment panel with Leanne M. Krecic, Ryan Benjamin, Sanford Greene, Brandon Lee, David K. Wilson, Fernando Pinto, and Tom Akel. Ryan Benjamin and Comic Pro Boot Camp will also be hosting Learn How to Draw Professional Comics, and other Rocketship creators will be featured as panelists on How Webtoons Have Changed the Comics Industry, Angry Birds and Palworld: Epic Games with Epic Toys!, and Tarzan and John Carter of Mars Live!
Comic Pro Boot Camp – Learn How to Draw Professional Comics Thursday, July 23rd, 11:00 – 12:30 PMRoom 3Whilce Portacio (Uncanny X-Men, Punisher), Ryan Benjamin (Absolute Batman, Iron Man), Alex Sinclair (Hush 2, Justice League), and Carlos D’Anda (Justice League vs. Godzilla) lead a hands-on drawing workshop teaching professional strategies for pencils, inks, and colors.
How Webtoons Have Changed the Comics IndustryThursday, July 23rd, 4:30 – 5:30 PMRoom 24ABCWebtoons, vertical-scrolling comics, are changing how people read comics. Deb Aoki (Mangasplaining), Kalai Chik (K-ComicsBeat), and Heidi MacDonald (The Beat) are joined by Leanne M. Krecic (Let’s Play) and Derek V. Song (Fantasy High) to talk about the latest trends coming from Korea to the U.S. and how U.S. publishers are adapting traditional comics to the format. From a $1.3 billion industry in Korea to one of the fastest-growing storytelling platforms around the world, the panel looks at how people are making and reading webtoons, and what that means for the future.
Angry Birds and Palworld: Epic Games with Epic Toys!Friday, July 24th, 11:30 – 12:30 PMRoom 6BCFRovio Entertainment and The Loyal Subjects unveil new toys inspired by the upcoming film The Angry Birds Movie 3 and the world-dominating Palworld game. Toy designer Dina Al Rifai (The Loyal Subjects) shares behind-the-design insights and reveals upcoming M.A.S.K. and The Hunger Games movie toys. Featuring John Cohen (The Angry Birds Movie 3, producer), Heitor Pereira (The Angry Birds Movie 3, composer), Tom Akel (founder, Rocketship Entertainment), Thom Zahler (Angry Birds, artist), Evan Lee (EvanTube), and Ben Mattes (Rovio), the panel highlights new projects and creative processes across film, comics, and collectibles. The program also includes a special Palworld message from John “Bucky” Buckley (communications director, Pocketpair) and a preview of a remade classic 1980s toy planned for 2027.
Tarzan and John Carter of Mars Live!Friday, July 24th, 4:00 – 5:00 PMRoom 32ABAcademy Award–winning supervising director Mark Andrews (Brave) and Michael Kogge (Star Wars) discuss their vision for the animated TV series John Carter of Mars in development, followed by updates on the upcoming John Carter of Mars audio drama, with Wase Chief (Horizon: An American Saga) discussing her voice work as Dejah Thoris. Both efforts are authorized by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Andrew Sumner (Titan Books, Titan Comics) shares a new announcement while Tom Akel of Rocketship Entertainment shares updates on the upcoming massive Russ Manning’s Tarzan project and Matías Timarchi of Alien Books discusses a new take on the Lord of the Jungle in Tarzan Beyond. . The session concludes with Wolf Larson (writer/producer; former Tarzan TV star; VP of entertainment, ERB, Inc.) and Christopher Paul Carey (VP of publishing, ERB, Inc.) on what’s ahead in the ERB Universe for film, TV, and publishing.
Taking Off with Rocketship EntertainmentSaturday, July 25th, 7:30 – 8:30 PMRoom 26ABRocketship Entertainment, the 2021 Ringo Award winner for favorite publisher, is an industry leader in publishing hit webcomics and webtoons and a growing force in independent publishing. Tom Akel (CEO and publisher), Leeanne M. Krecic (aka “Mongie,” Let’s Play, Dragon King Oath), Ryan Benjamin (founder, Comic Pro Boot Camp; Frostpunk), Sanford Greene (1000), Brandon Lee (aka “TurtleMe,” The Beginning After the End), David K. Wilson (Empiria), and Fernando Pinto (Gunpunch, Eat Fighter) discuss the transitions from webcomics to print and back, and what is coming to Rocketship, T-Minus 10 tabletop, and Bottlerocket! all-ages comics. The panel also includes a look at upcoming Rocketship games and series, including Angry Birds, Frostpunk, and Tarzan.
And more future Rocketship projects and partnerships will be discussed in the Legendary Comics: Streetfighter, Dune, Godzilla/Kong and More, Top Cow: 2026 and Beyond, and PANICK: The Next Nightmare Begins panels.
It’s time to give the spinner rack another turn. Secret Lair x Marvel: Spinner Rack Specials, a five-card Magic: The Gathering drop featuring original artwork by acclaimed comic artist Annie Wu, is available through the Secret Lair Chaos Vault, bringing the look and feel of classic comic books to five cards from the upcoming Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes.
Secret Lair x Marvel: Spinner Rack Specials gives these cards the full vintage-comics treatment, with art that looks like it could have come straight from the pages of a retro comic book. Artist Annie Wu brings a distinct comics sensibility to the drop, combining expressive character work, heavy inks, aged textures, and rich color to make every card feel like the cover that stopped you mid-spin at the local comic shop. This drop celebrates the bold storytelling, iconic characters, and unforgettable art that Magic and Marvel fans know and love.
Foil editions of Secret Lair x Marvel: Spinner Rack Specials are available in limited quantities at MagicCon: Amsterdam, taking place July 17–19, 2026, and through the Chaos Vault on the Secret Lair website. The Chaos Vault will be open during the show from 10:00 AM CEST on Friday, July 17 to 7:00 PM CEST on Sunday, July 19, 2026, while supplies last.
Secret Lair x Marvel: Spinner Rack Specials includes:
1x Hammerhead, Maggia Boss, 1x Undead Hand Ninja, 1x Tippy-Toe, Terrific Partner, 1x Hex Magic, 1x Baxter Building
LRG Games is putting Invincible and The Walking Dead into players’ hands this fall as OverPower TCG: Skybound lands at comic shops and game stores nationwide. It’s the biggest set the company has shipped since bringing OverPower back, and the first time the 30-year-old game has had a wide retail push since the original Marvel/DC era ended.
Skybound brings 36 new playable characters into the Modern format and slots in cleanly alongside Legacy decks for players who’ve been around since the beginning. Birthright and Excellence characters round out the set. As with every OverPower release, the cards are full-art from household names including Jae Lee, Joe Jusko, Marc Silvestri, Philip Tan, and Adam Kubert.
Marking OverPower’s widest retail release in over 30 years, this set will be available at local gaming and comic book stores in the US and Canada — as well as over 900 Best Buy and 1800 GameStop locations nationwide. Local game stores will have retail event support starting with the Top Cow release.
Booster displays, starter deck displays, and Power Card Stations are available for preorder now ahead of the August 28 street date.
This is the set we’ve wanted to make since we bought the company. OverPower’s whole thing is that you’re not watching the fight, you’re in it. Pair that with Invincible and Walking Dead, where the fans already know exactly what it feels like to be inside those stories. This IP was a no brainer.
Wizards of the Coast has announced Secret Lair x Global Fund for Women: Their Magic is Limitless, a new Magic: The Gathering philanthropy drop created in support of Global Fund for Women, one of the world’s leading foundations for gender justice. The drop celebrates women, their relationships, their power, and the many ways they support, teach, protect, and champion one another across generations, communities, and worlds.
Inspired by Global Fund for Women’s work supporting gender justice organizations around the world, Secret Lair x Global Fund for Women: Their Magic is Limitless centers the kind of connection that turns individual power into collective change. Global Fund for Women resources grassroots leaders and feminist movements working in their own communities, and this drop carries that spirit into Magic through mentorship, family, collaboration, love, legacy, and women standing together across the Multiverse.
Secret Lair x Global Fund for Women: Their Magic is Limitless includes:
1x Lathril, Blade of the Elves, 1x Path of Ancestry, 1x Cultivate, 1x Sol Ring, 1x Finale of Devastation, 1x Coat of Arms, 1x Dark Ritual
Price: Non-Foil: $39.99 USD, Foil: $49.99 USD*
*Fifty percent (50%) of the product price will be donated to Global Fund for Women.
Secret Lair x Global Fund for Women: Their Magic isLimitless will be available at MagicSecretLair.com from July 20, 2026, at 9 AM PT through August 3, 2026, at 11:59 AM PT. Fifty percent (50%) of the product price will be donated to Global Fund for Women, which support gender justice organizations around the world.
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Wizards of the Coast has launched Mood Swings, an all-new prototype trading card game. Blending the collectibility and variety of traditional TCGs with quick, 5–10 minute gameplay,Mood Swings – 1st Edition is available exclusively onMagicSecretLair.com.
Mood Swings was created by Mark Rosewater, Head Designer of Magic: The Gathering. Designed as a faster, more accessible take on the genre, Mood Swings is a light strategy game for two to four players with no deckbuilding required.
Inside every Mood Swings deckbox is a randomized set of forty-five game cards, a rules card, and a play aide card. It has everything you need to play with two to four people right out of the box. Each round, every player plays a card, eventually adding up the scores of all the cards in play, with the highest scorer winning the round. Win three rounds and win the game. Cards represent moods and emotions, with effects tied to their attributes, so when played, they can alter the playing field and then shift the rules. With a round of Mood Swings, anything’s possible!
Rocketship Entertainment has announced Everdate: Let’s Play – The Dating Game. The game is set to launch on Kickstarter tomorrow, June 2nd, 2026. The cooperative card game is a fast-paced, relationship-driven tabletop experience based on Let’s Play, the Ringo-Award winning, Eisner-nominated webcomic with over 7 million followers. In Everdate: Let’s Play – The Dating Game, players compete for love, drama, and unforgettable moments. Choose from twelve diverse characters, each with their own unique affinity, custom deck, and special abilities that shape how they connect and respond under pressure.
Every game is a new date. After selecting a location that sets the scene and introduces unique situations and challenges, you and your partner must work together to match your cards with affinity symbols on the location cards before the countdown timers run out. Complete ten successful matches to make the date a success, but the twist is that communication and timing are everything.
You and your partner can build momentum by creating combos, earning ability tokens, and upgrading your cards, but as you continue to have more dates, your interest points grow and so does the difficulty, which means staying in sync becomes more challenging with every move.
