Trading Card Trends 2025 – A Look Back at an Extraordinary TCG Year

The year 2025 was one of the most exciting in the trading card game world in a long time. New sets, rising demand, innovative products, and a rapidly growing market shaped the industry – for Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, and Disney Lorcana alike. In this review, we'll show you the most important TCG trends of 2025 , how the market developed, and what surprises the year held.

1. One Piece TCG remains the strongest growth factor

In 2025, One Piece TCG was once again the fastest-growing trading card game worldwide. Sets OP11 through OP14 again achieved record sales – both in Japan and in the English version. The most popular sets were:

Manga Parallels

Exclusive Leader cards

The recurring “anime-style” alternative arts

Many players actively switched from Yu-Gi-Oh! or Vanguard to One Piece in 2025 because the sets are strong in terms of gameplay, collectible, and well-produced.

2. Pokémon trading cards continued to dominate the mass market.

Pokémon remained the most popular TCG in the world in 2025. Particularly successful games included:

• Mega Dream EX – one of the most sought-after sets of the year
• Japanese high-class sets, which again generated extreme demand
• Center-exclusive accessories and new collector products

Japanese products continued to be perceived as higher quality and sold out quickly. International sets offered new mechanics, EX cards, and powerful gold cards, which were among the most valuable pulls in 2025.

3. Disney Lorcana solidifies its place in the TCG universe

Following its explosive start in previous years, Disney Lorcana was able to stabilize its position in 2025. Particularly successful were:

• Set 10 & 11 – bold glitter, new mechanics & winter designs
• Enchanted cards with massive collector interest
• Exclusive accessory products such as troves and premium binders

Lorcana finally managed to establish a lasting foothold in the competitive arena in 2025. Many tournaments recorded record numbers of participants.

4. Magic: The Gathering relies on Universes Beyond – another success.

Magic garnered significant attention in 2025 with further Universes Beyond collaborations. Following "Fallout" and "Assassin's Creed," new collaborations were added that also thrilled non-Magic players. Highlights of the year:

• Lorwyn Eclipsed – a strong autumn set with a nostalgia factor
• More collector products than ever before
• stable tournament scene in Modern, Pioneer & EDH

Magic remains the "core TCG", but the focus shifted clearly towards collector products in 2025.

5. Accessories are booming like never before

The accessories market experienced its strongest growth since 2019 in 2025. Particularly in demand were:

Magnetic card holders (One Touch)

High-quality 16- or 24-pocket binders

Premium card sleeves with sturdy side panels

Playmats in Limited Designs

Brands like Dragon Shield, Ultra Pro or cardcosmos increased their market share as more and more players value protection and presentation.

6. Japanese products dominated the market – despite high demand.

Japanese TCG products remained in extremely high demand in 2025, whether Pokémon, One Piece, or even Magic: The Gathering specials. Reasons:

• Improved print quality
• Limited first editions
• Exclusive artworks

Many collectors switched to purely JPN collections in 2025, as these are considered to be of higher quality and more stable in value.

7. Social media and creators are further pushing the TCG trend

YouTube openings, TikTok Lives, and Twitch Booster Battles continued their strong growth in 2025. New creators and shops contributed to this:

• More reach for TCGs
• high demand for new releases
• regular sales of certain sets

TCGs finally became a trendy hobby in 2025, enjoying enormous popularity both offline and online.

8. Sustainability and quality became more of a focus.

Many manufacturers invested in better packaging, improved printing, and more sustainable production chains in 2025. Players preferred durable accessories and high-quality materials – one reason for the growth of premium-oriented brands.

2025 was one of the strongest years in TCG history.

Whether it was Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, or Lorcana – the year 2025 was marked by records, collectors' passion, and new trends. More players, more collectors, higher-quality products, and a strong community ensured that TCGs are more popular today than ever before.

A look at the trends clearly shows: The world of collectible cards continues to grow – and 2026 could be even bigger.

You can find all current TCG products, accessories and new releases in our categories at cardcosmos.