The latest Yu-Gi-Oh! set, Speed Duel GX: Midterm Destruction, launched just a few days ago. Featuring pre-built decks and a name that feels more like Persona than Yu-Gi-Oh!, there’s a lot to enjoy with this release. Unfortunately, however, the set’s release has been surrounded by some mixed news. Bizarrely, the set can’t be played everywhere.
On Yu-Gi-Oh’s card legality page, Konami sneakily announced that “Speed Duel cards [are] not legal for play in EMEA & OC regions.” This includes all the cards introduced to speed duel in Speed Duel GX: Midterm Destruction. Considering the set contains a fair few new and exciting cards, this news will undoubtedly dampen a lot of players' excitement.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the terminology, the new Speed Duel GX: Midterm Destruction can’t be played in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. This essentially means that if you’re outside of the US, you won’t be able to play it. Looking online, some retailers are still selling the product in this region, but that doesn’t make it legal in official play.
Right now, there’s no telling exactly why this decision has been made by Konami. What we do know, however, is that this development is definitely a shame. Even if it’s not the most popular format globally, a lot of players like the way Speed Duel feels, and this set is a great boon to the format. Containing pre-built decks for classic characters like Jaden, Sartorius, Tyranno, and Jim, there would be a lot to love.
Ultimately, while there has been no official announcement from Konami just yet, it seems the Speed Duel format’s days could be numbered. Outside of America, at least, support for this format has evidently ceased, likely due to a lack of demand. In theory, this means Speed Duel GX: Midterm Destruction and future Speed Duel products won’t be produced in the aforementioned regions to cut costs.
At the end of the day, we’re just going to have to wait for an official announcement from Konami to know more. For the time being, the little information we do know comes from just a sentence on the card legality page. If you've somehow managed to procure any of this set and you're in one of the banned regions, maybe keep hold of the packs and save them for a rainy day if you can as they’re not going to help you in any matches.