After several months of anticipation, the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG ban list is finally here—and it going to have a substantial impact on a lot of decks in the format.
Konami shared some of the changes it’s making with its next ban list today, Aug. 31, while also saying the full list will be posted on its website on Sept. 2. The previous ban list went into effect on April 15.
Konami initially said on July 10 that the next Forbidden and Limited list would drop in “late August.” During the final week of the month, Yu-Gi-Oh! fans and players alike were regularly checking social media, anxiously waiting for the ban list. And on Aug. 30, Konami finally confirmed the list would be announced the next day—the last possible time for the “late August” announcement to stay true.
Snake-Eyes has arguably been the best deck in the meta for several months, and this ban list sees Snake-Eye Ash and Snake-Eyes Poplar both being limited to one card. Notably, though, Konami chose not to ban or limit Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon on this list, which means the deck should still be playable but less consistent with fewer Ash and Poplar.
While Flamberge dodged the ban section on this list, four Extra Deck monsters were placed in the Forbidden category: Fiendsmith’s Lacrima, Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, and Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal. These hits should have a major impact on the Extra Decks of several meta decks—especially Apollousa, a strong generic Link monster that offers multiple monster effect negates.
The Limited section of the list also featured noteworthy hits to other decks, including Branded Fusion, Opening of the Spirit Gates, and Sangen Summoning—hitting Branded, Yubel, and Tenpai Dragon, respectively. Pot of Prosperity was limited as well, affecting the consistency of several decks across the board. And everyone except floodgate enjoyers is probably thrilled to see Skill Drain limited, too.
The next major event on the calendar is the 2024 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship from Sept. 7 to 8 in Seattle, which will use a unique ban list that combines the TCG and OCG Forbidden and Limited lists. The first Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series level tournaments to feature this new ban list will likely be the 275th YCS in Lille, France and the Team YCS in Santiago, Chile, from Sept. 27 to 29.
