Breaking Down the Future of Disney Lorcana TCG with Co-Founder Ryan Miller

Since its debut in 2023, Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game by Ravensburger has sold over 2.8 billion cards inspired by some of the biggest films in Disney and Pixar's catalog, all while cultivating a thriving community of players that collect, battle, and dream of what's ahead. Today, on the official launch day of the Hyperia City set, we wanted to share our chat with Disney Lorcana TCG co-founder Ryan Miller from D23 as we got an exciting glimpse of the game's future.

The team held a panel at D23 called The Quests Ahead for Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game and we learned a lot of exciting details about what's headed our way this year and beyond, but what I'll remember most about our conversation was how this TCG has become so much more than just a game, but we'll get to that in a bit!

For now, let's break down all the big news!

Hyperia City

The Hyperia City set is out now and has brought the world of Coco into Disney Lorcana TCG, added a new energy source called Ink Drops, and so much more. The title of this set is also kind of a big deal because the team has created a bustling urban landscape that builds out the game's lore in a fresh way.

"We have novelists, visual developers, and storytellers who just keep leveling up, and I think Hyperia City is a great example of that," Miller said. "It starts with a simple question, what would an urban environment in the realm of Lorcana look like? What would that be like? And then we had them go in and play around in that idea and it was really exciting all around."

A fun nod the team came up with was in the name itself, as it stems from Hyperion Studio, where Walt Disney Studios called home from 1926-1940 and where Mickey Mouse was born. From there, they had fun dividing the city into "distinct neighborhoods celebrating the individual attributes of various Illumineers and glimmers" that call it home.

This idea was then an inspiration for new location cards, so you'll be learning about the city while you play/collect. These include Land of the Dead – Marigold Bridge, Merlin’s Shop and Smithy – Magical Market, Khan Industries – Greenway Landmark, Institute of Technology – Honey Lemon’s Lab, and Khan Stadium – State of the Art.

And of course the locations need to be filled with glimmers, and we were introduced to Minnie Mouse - Urban Visionary, Donald Duck - Taxi Driver, and Mickey Mouse - Best in Town. These glimmers fit the theme of Hyperia City so well and show how the team is smartly integrating beloved characters to fit the set. Oh, and we have to mention that Mickey's card is a tribute to the first words he ever spoke: Hot Dog!

We had the chance to get an early hands-on of Hyperia City, and here's what we said;

"Hyperia City brings familiarity in returning characters, another popular Pixar addition, and a game-changing mechanic in ink drops to end the year," IGN's Mike Mamon wrote. "Characters from Big Hero 6 and The Sword of the Stone are back in a big way, which is a nice touch after the big set rotation, making some of their older cards unusable in the main competitive scene.

"Plus, with another Pixar favorite in Coco being highlighted, the set is very enticing for players and collectors out there. And with ink drops being a pretty major mechanic introduction adding another layer of resource management, it’ll be interesting to see how the meta and deck brewing changes as the competitive season progresses."

Into the Inkdark Set and Collector Boosters

We also learned more about 2027's Into the Inkdark set, which will feature villains like Hades and task players with discovering the Dark Illuminary.

Perhaps the biggest news from this set, however, is that it will be introducing the Collector Boosters. These packs are meant for the collectors out there, as they include 12 randomized premium foil cards, each with a special foil treatment.

There will also be a new rarity - Illustrious - and we got a look at one of them - Maleficent - Biding Her Time - and learned it will be just one of six cards per set, and only 23 of each will be printed. And yes, Miller did confirm that they chose 23 as a nod to the founding year of The Walt Disney Company - 1923!

Miller also eased fears and assured me that this wouldn't change anything about booster packs or how players currently engage with the game.

"The Collector Booster is our way of saying to our collectors that this is a wonderful thing you can be excited about. It you want to really bling out your deck, this is a really good way to do that," Miller said. "It's not going to replace regular boosters. We really want this to just be a special thing that also focuses on the artists, which are featured right above the rarity symbol. We've worked with over 300 artists from around the world, and they are all truly amazing."

These Collector Boosters will be part of every set following Into the Inkdark, and they'll only be available for purchase at Ravensburger Play Hub stores, the Ravensburger Online Store, and select Disney locations.

Cosmic Quest

Disney Lorcana TCG is going to space later in 2027 with the Cosmic Quest set, and we got a glimpse of what to expect with some fun art featuring The Little Mermaid's Ariel and Flounder floating among the cosmos.

I asked Miller what this new biome offers the team, and he said it's another evolution of what they did with Hyperia City in trying to explore new ideas and give the fans something they didn't even know they wanted.

"Narrative and game design, they work really closely together because they're really symbiotic," Miller said. "The game designers say, 'Well, we need these mechanics in the game. How can we best be expressed through story?' And then narratives say, 'Well, we're having a story with a setting, like this galactic setting, how can that fit the gameplay?' From that, they've done some really fun stuff there that I won't be sharing with you quite yet!"

What's the most exciting part for me about Cosmic Quest is that, for the very first time, Wall-E and EVE will be joining Disney Lorcana TCG with Cosmic Quest!

Beauty and the Beast Curator’s Collection Set

Of all the big reveals at D23, I think I was most blown away by the Beauty and the Beast Curator's Collection set. Listen, it's no secret that the art of Disney Lorcana TCG is on another level thanks to some truly incredible artists, and this set is the perfect example of how the team keeps one upping themselves.

This Curator's Collection set, which is the second one following the Heroines Edition, will be released in October 2026 and is part of the celebration of The Beauty and the Beast's 30th anniversary. What sets this collection apart is that the artwork takes inspiration from the movie's stained-glass motif, and these cards are gorgeous. The character art in concert with the colors come together so beautifully, and there is also just so much joy in each of the faces. I know this will be hard to get, but this feels like a must have!

"To me it's a love letter," Miller said of this set. "It's our love letter to our fans, and it's our love letter to Beauty and the Beast. Furthermore, the attention to detail is how we show our love. It's something that Disney exemplifies, and they're the best in the world at this, and that attention to detail is how we show our love for these characters and stories on those cards. You've only seen the video of it, but to hold them in your hands and to see what actually went into these, it's amazing. Our creative team is second to none. They make such beautiful cards."

Disney Lorcana Visual Guide

Speaking of Disney Lorcana TCG's artwork, the Disney Lorcana Visual Guide is on its way to store shelves on February 1, 2027, and is meant for fans who want to dive deep into the lore and/or just admire a collection of art in a coffee style book you can display with pride. This book gathers art from many of the different sets and scales them up so they can be appreciated even more, and I'm all for that!

Disney Lorcana TCG Returns to EPCOT International Festival of the Arts With Figment

If D23 showed us anything, it's that Figment is, deservedly, having quite a moment! In addition to the news that Figment and Dreamfinder will be part of a new iteration of Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT, the team at Disney Lorcana TCG confirmed they will be back at EPCOT's International Festival of the Arts with the first-ever Figment card!

Miller shared that over 170,000 people participated in the first collection quest at the last festival, and Figment spearheading the next one just feels right.

"It's just wonderful," Miller said of finally getting Figment on a card. "At the last festival, they had a Figment popcorn bucket and there was this huge line. It's just so great when a character just brings people together. So, to be able to include Figment on a Lorcana card is just so cool. I also think we found the perfect card for him, and I was really excited to hear the crowd when we revealed it.

"I don't know how else to put it, but Disney fans are so delightful. This Figment love is just so neat to me, I mean, he's not been in a film, but they love him. One of the favorite things about my job is I love, love, love when people are geeking out about stuff they love. And I say this as a lifelong geek, right? I love it. It's wonderful. My eye doctor was geeking out about the veins in my eye and I'm like, 'keep going!' He's like, 'I'm probably boring.' I'm like, 'No, dude, it's super compelling.'"

Disney Lorcana TCG Digital Version + Disney Cruise Line Expansion

To conclude Disney Lorcana TCG's panel at D23, the team shared they are hard at work on a digital version of the game. The goal is to allow players to play how they want, when they want, and where they want in a simpler way.

"For me, there are two main things," Miller said of the digital version. "One is that this is for Lorcana players who, for whatever reason, have a lifestyle change or something like that. If they have a toddler, for example, and can't go to their weeklies as much as they want to, this is for them. Or maybe they haven't found their weeklies yet or just want to practice, this will be an incredible tool for that.

"On the other hand, it's an invaluable tool for learning how to play. A lot of us, myself included, might feel a bit of a social cost when we're being taught by someone. We're like, 'Oh, what did you say again?' Or, 'I don't want to bug you, you're the middle of teaching me, blah, blah, blah.' And the digital game is such a great way to do that; to just learn in a social free environment. I could just learn there and then build up my confidence and my skill level so that I can then feel more empowered to go to a weekly, to go to an event, to simply sit down with somebody and play. Sitting down on the tabletop is so fun, and we're hoping this helps more people get there."

Those voyaging on Disney Cruise Line in 2027 will also have a chance to experience Disney Lorcana TCG as Collection Quests and more will join the fleet, meaning there are even more ways to play!

D23

Disney Lorcana TCG had a huge presence at D23, and Miller shared that this convention will always have a special place in the team's heart as the 2022 show is where the game was revealed to the world.

"Before that moment at D23 2022, we just weren't sure," Miller said. "We had a booth that was probably a 10th of the size of the one we have now, and we just weren't sure. And then the crowd showed up and we had a huge line. It was this wonderful moment for us and it gave a much needed boost, because we'd been working on this project for nearly two years in the dark."

At D23 this year, Disney Lorcana TCG and Ravensburger as a whole had photo ops, a collection quest, a D23 Challenge Championship Qualifier, and, of course, some exclusive, current, and pre-release items for the army of fans to enjoy.

The big ticket item was the 2026 D23 Collection, which included beloved glimmers from past quests and, perhaps most exciting, the first-ever card from the upcoming Hyperia set - Coco's Héctor Rivera. The set also includes Lilo & Stitch's Angel, Pocahontas, Mulan's Mushu, Zootopia's Judy Hopps, and The Incredibles' Mr. Incredible.

As a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh (Happy 100th BTW!), the highlight for me just may have been the Winnie the Pooh - Hunny Wizard Premium Playmat. This gorgeous playmat features premium hunny foil details and stitched edges, and just looks so good in person.

A much-anticipated pre-release item at D23 was the Quest of Wonders: An Illumineers Lorebook. This first-of-its-kind novel not only features incredible art from Disney Lorcana TCG's artists an a stunning Pegasus promo card, but actualy tells a story from inside the game's world.

The story follows Illumineer Shanzay, who comes across an old lorebook and is trying to figure out who it belonged to and why it was hidden.

"The more she reads about the author's adventure—how he set out with his glimmers of Peter Pan and Pegasus in search of his missing mentor—the more shocking her discoveries become, which she records in margin notes," the official description reads.

Such other exciting items on display were some of the Lorcana puzzles, and I was so excited to put together the Winnie the Pooh & Piglet - Hunny Mages 300-piece puzzle with my son as it paired perfectly with the playmat!

There was also the Disney Lorcana TCG: Collection Starter Set - Rapunzel Edition, which comes with 4 random packs, a Collector's Card Portfolio with Rapunzel herself, a Collector's Guide, and a stunning spcial edition promo card of Rapunzel - Ethereal Protector.

Oh, and Disney Villainous is still going strong at Ravensburger, and we were able to get our hands on the Come, We Fly! expansion that celebrates Hocus Pocus' Sanderson Sisters and even comes with an exclusive game piece of the sisters that will be sure to be a treat to any fan of the film.

Disney Lorcana TCG Is Much More Than Just a Game

To end our conversation, Miller and I just spoke for a few moments about what Disney Lorcana TCG really means to the players around the world. As with many of the things they love, they become so much more than what they appear on the surface because of the memories and moments we create with them with the ones we love.

"I'm just so proud to be a part of something that could make people this happy," Miller said with a big smile on his face. "I'm also just so proud of this team. They have done so many fantastic things in a short amount of time, and I'm really proud to be a part of that too. What we're doing here is special, and we're not here to squeeze the juice out of the grapes. We're here because we want to grow the vines. We want to grow more grapes. It's a long process, but it's really important."

And those vines have spread in ways the team could never have predicted, and I have one final story to share with you from Miller that sums it all up perfectly.

"There was a fellow I was talking to earlier today who was a special education teacher," Miller said. "He was at one of his locals when a kid came in with his parent who wasn't really engaging or anything like that, and he taught this kid how to play. Now, this kid has totally come out of his shell and has become a competitor and a really good player. This was his thing now. It was something that he could really own and it was his deal. And I just love that because who knows what else could happen? It's just wonderful when you send ripples out in the world and some of them come back. It's just a wonderful thing."

For more, check out all the other big reveals from D23's Entertainment and Experiences Showcases!