Bandai Namco officially announced the digital card game teasing its existence with a video. It will be a free-to-play title on iOS and Android adapting the current Digimon Card Game, and its announcement comes as Digmon's rival franchise, Pokémon, is dominating the mobile digital card game space.

The brief but flashy first trailer for Digimon Alysion came out during the Digimon Con 2025 event, during which a new Digimon anime series was also announced. A release date for Digimon Alysion is unknown at this time, but the trailer shows various details, including what the game board and cards will look like and the main cast of characters.

Everything We Know About Digimon Alysion

Matchmaking And A Story Mode Could Be On The Horizon

The announcement trailer shows off gameplay, with the game board and cards (unsurprisingly) resembling how they do in the real-life card game. Menu footage also shows cute pixel representations of a few Digimon. The trailer also shows a glimpse of online matchmaking between different players. All in all, playing Digimon Alysion looks just like playing the physical version, albeit with some fun digital effects.

The announcement also shows what appears to be a story mode. The characters shown in the Digimon Alysion trailer include Kanata Hondo, who appears to be the protagonist, Valner Dragnogh, Futre, and a new Digimon named Gemmon partnered with Kanata. The Digimon Renamon also features in the trailer, having been hinted at in the game's initial teaser. Other Digimon seen are Agumon, Gabumon, and their respective Mega forms.

Our Take: Pokémon TCG May Have A Worthy Competitor

Digimon Alysion Could Have a Great Road Ahead

While there have been various iterations of Digimon collectible card games since the late 1990s, the latest iteration of Digimon Card Game was initially released in Japan in 2020, followed by a global release a year later. However, there was no digital release for the game — only a companion tutorial app that instructed players on the game's rules. The release of Digimon Alysion will make the card game available to players who may not have experienced it while enticing those who are already fans.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game has had a notable resurgence with the digital release of Pokémon TCG Pocket, which has seen massive success. The game is widely accessible and has all kinds of players, from those solely focused on their collection to those who are intently competitive while keeping an eye on the metagame.

One point of interest for Pokémon TCG Pocket is how the battles are generally much shorter than the standard TCG, with players needing 3 points to win a match as opposed to collecting 6 prize cards. We'll see upon its release if Digimon Alysion will also alter the rules similarly or if it will be a closer adaptation. Between the diverse player base, fast battles, and general accessibility of Pokemon TCG Pocket, its Digimon counterpart will have a lot to live up to. If Bandai Namco delivers interesting features and long-term , Digimon Alysion can finally provide some competition.

Source: Digimon Card Game Channel/YouTube