Lackluster tournament prizing is a common complaint among trading card games. The prestige of being the best player in the world means more to many than prizing, but the dedication required to get to this level can consume a ton of time. For that reason, prizing is needed to allow players to spend such colossal efforts towards a game.
As much as MTG players may complain about the constant degradation of tournament prizes, their situation is better than Yu-Gi-Oh! The prizing for these tournaments is commonly so ridiculous that players across communities are left confused after seeing a Yu-Gi-Oh prize payout.
For example, instead of money, a top finish at a Yu-Gi-Oh regional could get you a Nintendo Switch. Considering the sheer size of many of these tournaments, an out-of-date gaming system is undoubtedly a shabby prize compared to other TCG events of the same size. However, at least there was some crossover between Yu-Gi-Oh and video games. That can’t be said for the latest Yu-Gi-Oh prizing offer.
Play Card Games to Win an Air Fryer
At an upcoming Yu-Gi-Oh! Regional event taking place in San Diego, the top eight finishers will receive… an air fryer for their efforts.
Aside from cold hard cash, this is likely the most practical TCG prizing we’ve seen, but there isn’t much connecting card games and cooking. Understandably, some Yu-Gi-Oh players are far from impressed by the change in prizing, but a lot of players still prefer this prize to past ones. At least this one is useable:
“Let’s be honest, most of Yugiohs fan base is in their 30s and could use an air fryer.”
“I pick the air fryer because I can actually use that.”
For reference, Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments rarely, if ever, reward cash prizes. Awarding cash prizes for Japanese companies has problematic legal connotations, which limits what Yu-Gi-Oh players can expect for prizing. That makes the air fryer more enticing than the terrible prizing these events usually offer, but there are additional issues with this particular prize. This specific air fryer appears to be the cheapest the Ninja brand offers. With a value of about $80, this prize is even worse monetarily than the $299.99 Nintendo Switch.
The problem of Yu-Gi-Oh prizing is so bad that some creators are walking away from the game for greener pastures. Let’s be honest, though. If you want to make money playing cards, Poker is the way to go.