Trigun Stampede joins My Hero Academia and Cowboy Bebop in UniVersus CCG’s new Challenger Series
Publisher Jasco Games rebrands as UVS amid popular anime set reprints.
The company behind Universus has announced a rebrand that puts the popular collectible card game directly in the spotlight. Jasco Games will now be known as UVS Games, and a bevy of upcoming releases will celebrate the name change.
Chief among them is the addition of cards featuring characters from Trigun Stampede, a 2023 remake of the classic anime series - itself adapted from Yasuhiro Nightow's manga. According to a press release from UVS Games, Vash the Stampede and Nicholas D. Wolfwood are confirmed as two among the familiar faces that will crop up on character cards.
Trigun Stampede will be part of the new Challenger Series, which focuses on competitive constructed play by selling fans a preconstructed deck that the company claims is ready for tournament play, along with two themed character cards and a Collector Booster pack containing six alternate art foil cards. Many of the cards in the Challenger Series decks will be mechanically unique and only found in this particular release.
Cowboy Bebop will also be reprinted in its own Challenger Series releases, featuring Spike and Faye on their own cards. Technically a fully separate game, My Hero Academia will undergo a slightly special transformation into My Hero Academia: Jet Burn, a set that leans on alternate-art card treatments on singles from throughout MHA’s relationship with UVS Games.
“We can't wait to share even more exciting news in the coming year as we continue to invest in and acquire creatively-driven companies producing authentic products with loyal fan bases in the interactive space. We truly believe long-term community building is far more important than short-term bottom line returns.” said Paul Wharshavsky, UVS Games co-founder.
Avian hero Hawks and signature move Hawk’s Feather were revealed as two more iconic inclusions in the set, which will be the first physical release to sport the redesigned UVS Games card back and frame. Deeply drawing on the design and mechanics of the Universal Fighting System (Universus is barely more than a photocopy, in many respects), Universus is a fast-paced card-based battler wherein a deck is composed of attacks, strategies and manoeuvres instead of creatures and support spells.
The rebranding and new sets will not change Universus’ fundamental compatibility with UFS and other derivative systems or expansions, which can all be mashed together in the most brutal crossover episode imaginable.
UVS Games said to expect My Hero Academia: Jet Burn by the 2023 holiday season. Previews of the other revealed sets are yet to come, leaving us with a few peeks into the CCG’s next chapter. Even if you’ve never heard of this game, the collectibility, artwork and simple-enough rules have managed to capture the sustained interest of fans who stick around for the full-length alternate art and other special treatments - confidently putting the collectible in CCG.