End and Beginning

“If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”
   –George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Recently, we announced the FFG 2015 World Championships, held November 4th - 8th at our Fantasy Flight Games Center, here in Roseville, Minnesota. This year, our World Championships have been expanded to encompass five full days of gaming and accommodate our growing catalog of games, but that’s not the only important change coming to this year’s World Championships.

Last November, we announced the upcoming second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, to be released for the first time at Gen Con Indy 2015. We also announced at that time that we would continue Organized Play support for the first edition through the end of 2015.  Now, at the 2015 World Championships, we have the unique privilege of celebrating the long life of the game’s first edition, while welcoming the new second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game.

The End of an Era

 The first edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game has been a flagship game for Fantasy Flight. It was our very first LCG®, and it ran successfully for the past eleven years, but at this point, the first edition is starting to show its age. We wanted this game to continue for many more years to come, so we made the decision to return to the game’s roots and release a second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. (For more information on the transition and the reasons behind it, read Nate French’s letter to the community.)

Although the first edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game will no longer receive OP support after the 2015 World Championships, we wanted to make sure that the final tournament for the first edition received the support and love that it deserved. We also wanted to ensure that the prestige of the last World Champion for the first edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game remained undiminished. To that end, the 2015 World Championships for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Joust, Melee, and Draft will be for the game’s first edition. 

 A New Beginning

While we want to give the final first edition World Championship its proper time in the spotlight, we certainly don’t want to relegate the second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game to an inferior status. Because of this, we will hold a unique, special tournament to introduce the second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game to the Organized Play catalog, entitled The War of Five Kings tournament. The War of Five Kings tournament will be your first chance to participate in a major, constructed tournament for the second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. In fact, because this event is so important to us, The War of Five Kings tournament will be the only ticketed, non-World Championship event at the 2015 World Championships.

The War of Five Kings tournament held at the 2015 World Championships will be a full tournament with Swiss rounds leading to a Top Cut, starting on Saturday at 10:00 AM. Although The War of Five Kings tournament does not bear the title of World Championship, it will receive full prize support, including a promotional alternate art card that will be included with the set of alt art cards given to all attendees of the 2015 World Championships. What’s more, the champion of The War of Five Kings tournament will have the opportunity to design a champion card for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, alongside the first edition World Champions. 

Pre-registration is necessary for The War of Five Kings tournament at the 2015 World Championships. Pre-registration for the 2015 World Championships, including this tournament, will begin at 12:00 PM CST on June 15th at https://fantasyflightgames.thundertix.com/events. For more information on registering for events at the 2015 World Championships, visit the World Championships article.

If you’re craving even more of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Second Edition, there will be a second edition Melee side event held on Sunday, November 8th. There is no pre-registration for this event; players may register for this event at the World Championships.

Fight for the Iron Throne

At the 2015 World Championships, we gather to give a triumphant farewell to the first edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, while simultaneously welcoming the second edition to FFG’s competitive Organized Play. Remember to pre-register for your A Game of Thrones: The Card Game World Championships and The War of Five Kings tournament on June 15th, and prepare to fight for the Iron Throne in both editions of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game!