Disney Lorcana early release at Gen Con met with disorderly crowds and commotion. What is it?
“Disney Lorcana,” a new, much-anticipated tabletop card game, launched at GenCon for a crowd of anxious fans at the Indianapolis Convention Center.
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GenCon, the world’s largest gaming convention, gathers some 70,000 gamers annually. On Thursday, attendees reported being trapped in massive mobs of customers hoping to get their hands on the game, which was made available early for GenCon guests.
The line for Disney Lorcana is the longest I’ve ever seen at @Gen_Con. The line snakes into the common area, and people were queueing hours in advance. @RavensburgerNA sold nothing to exhibitors to play fair and get more in the hands of attendees. —WEM pic.twitter.com/ELhpmHaiGn
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) August 3, 2023
What is Disney Lorcana?
A website for the new Disney game describes it as "an immersive trading card game." Cards feature beloved Disney characters including Mickey Mouse, Captain Hook, Elsa, Maui, Malificent and more.
In a July new release, the game announced exclusive products being sold in a debut release during Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis. Several ticketed events took place which were sold out before the convention began, according the the release.
When will Disney Lorcana be available in stores?
The card game is scheduled to hit U.S. game store shelves officially on August 18 and major retail stores in September. Thursday, one sole convention booth gave fans the chance to try the game early.
The vast commotion surrounding Disney Lorcana led to an online outcry of convention-goer dissatisfaction. Some customers claimed to have waited for hours in line, only to miss out on getting the product because a swell of people forced them out of place. Others said they were crushed or shoved into the walls.
I was in this since 5am and got no product, AMA: https://t.co/pj2tgdCMqq
— Ben Harris (@ben_center) August 3, 2023
First guy in line was an exhibitor while my friends who have been there since midnight are getting crushed by 5000 people somewhere towards the back. Get it together gen con
— Your Buddy Eric Switzer (Parody) (@EpicSwitzer) August 3, 2023
What happened at Gen Con during the Disney Lorcana release?
Many customers urged GenCon and Ravensburger, the company responsible for the Lorcana booth, to better organize the lines out of concern for individuals’ safety and out of respect for the other vendors and guests at the convention.
A Twitter account for Disney Lorcana shared early yesterday morning that the organizers would better prepare for the huge demand in the following days.
"We are working with Gen Con staff to improve the current line situation," it said in the Tweet. "We're humbled by the excitement. Clear instructions for the following days will be shared once we reach a solution with Gen Con."
The trading card game, which has drawn comparisons to other popular games like "Magic: The Gathering," follows an assortment of Disney character favorites in a journey to gain the most “lore” (points) through quests.
Contact the reporter Tory Basile at vbasile@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Disney Lorcana at Gen Con 2023: New game causes disorder in Indy
