Winners earn an invite to participate in the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship
 to be held this August in Tokyo, Japan

Raleigh, N.C. (June 14, 2023) – The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) and the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC) are proud to announce that Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KONAMI) will bring the 2023 North America Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) World Championship Qualifier (WCQ) to the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 7-9, 2023.

The qualifying event is expected to attract thousands of Duelists and fans and marks the first and largest major esports competition for a card game genre to be held in Raleigh’s history, and the first WCQ to be hosted in North America since 2019 when the event was held in Pittsburgh, PA. The competition will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube to global viewers and allow the top Duelists in the United States and Canada to compete for valuable prizes including a chance to represent North America at the recently announced Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship (WCS) being held in Tokyo, Japan this August. In addition to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, the WCS will feature separate tournaments for Yu-Gi-Oh! DUEL LINKS and, for the first time, Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL.

"We are especially excited to be hosting KONAMI’s World Championship Qualifier event here in Raleigh, N.C., because it is the first major esports event we will host for the competitive card game community," said Loren Gold, Executive Vice President of Visit Raleigh. "Our goal as a globally recognized esports destination is to offer diversity through the many genres of card and video game events we are entrusted to host, and we’re honored that KONAMI has selected Raleigh to host their passionate community, competitors and fans.”

North Carolina is the first and only state to offer a specific financial incentive to major esports event producers, domestic and foreign. The Esports Incentive Grant Fund, championed by Rep. Jason Saine, was incorporated into the State’s budget by Governor Roy Cooper in November of 2021, and has immediately proven to be impactful in attracting events to the State from all corners of our region and the world. These major esports events have supported hundreds of jobs and injected millions of dollars into the local and state economy. The team behind KONAMI’s livestreams have been working with fund administrators since inception and have spoken highly of the financial incentive and professionalism the esports representatives of Greater Raleigh and the State of North Carolina have demonstrated to attract their business and earn their trust.

“We are thrilled to bring the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship Qualifier to the city of Raleigh where attendees can expect an exciting final showdown to decide who will represent North America at the 2023 Yu-Gi-Oh! WCS in Japan,” said Yumi Hoashi, Executive Vice President of Card Business, Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. “The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG has a rich competitive scene that we’re greatly looking forward to bringing together again through a premier event built around giving our most dedicated Duelists and fans the chance to battle it out with like-minded players who are seeking to rise to the top.”

Alongside today’s announcement, KONAMI is excited to share a special promotional trailer for the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game’s 25th anniversary campaign. Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/pzfwDJzj188

Today, the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG is available across the globe, with products distributed in more than 80 countries and 9 languages, to be enjoyed by fans of all ages. For all the latest information regarding Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG products and events, and all Yu-Gi-Oh! digital card game titles, please visit the following:

 

About The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG:
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is one of the most popular trading card games in the world with over 25 billion cards sold. It is a game of strategy, where players create individual Decks of cards collected from Structure Decks and Booster Packs. Two players engage in a Duel while using cards that represent powerful monsters, magical Spells and surprising Traps. Duelists with well-constructed Decks, dominating monsters, solid strategy and good fortune are the victors in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. is the exclusive licensee and rights holder to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG in North America and Latin America.

About KONAMI:
KONAMI is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties and traditional trading card games. KONAMI's software titles include the popular franchises METAL GEAR SOLID, Silent Hill, DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers. KONAMI is also the manufacturer of the wildly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, which has sold more than 25 billion cards worldwide. The latest information about KONAMI can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with subsidiaries, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. in Windsor, the United Kingdom. Details of the products published by KONAMI can be found at www.konami.com.

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the economic position of and provide opportunity for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes nearly 16 million visitors annually whose spending tops $2.3 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 21,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $243 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $592 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com

About the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC):
The Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC) is made up of Wake County, City of Raleigh, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and Subnation Media. With esports and gaming being strong fabrics of our local community for decades, the LOC is dedicated to attracting local and global competitive video gaming events to the Greater Raleigh area. In addition to promoting Raleigh’s many world-class, esports-ready facilities and modern infrastructure, the LOC is positioned to offer leagues, publishers, event organizers and communities that host their events in the Greater Raleigh area with operational, promotional and measured economic support.

Media Contacts:
Jason Chai
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
cj.95157@konami.com

Gabriela Armenta
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
714-227-8889
gabriela.armenta@hkstrategies.com

Jessica Holt
Visit Raleigh
jholt@visitRaleigh.com

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