Trading card games are bigger than ever, and anime studios have taken notice. Following the launch of the popular One Piece TCG, the next big IP stepping into the scene is Naruto, the fan-favorite series that helped popularize anime throughout the 2000s. Naruto Card Game launches in Summer 2027, and ahead of its arrival, more details on it have been revealed at Gen Con 2026.
What is Naruto Card Game?
Described as a strategic trading card game that features characters from the three Naruto series–Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations–the game features unique mechanics and original designs. If you never read the original manga or watched the anime series, then you’ve missed out on one of the all-time greatest stories ever told. Naruto tells the story of its titular character, a loud and brash orphan raised in a ninja village who desires to ascend to the highest rank of those warriors, the Hokage, so that he can finally be noticed.
Born during an attack by the kaiju-sized nine-tailed fox that almost wiped out the village, the beast was sealed inside Naruto, and he subsequently spent the rest of his life being shunned by his village. Throughout the series, Naruto eventually grows as a ninja and a person, earning the respect of his village, while an overarching narrative throughout the manga and anime sees shadowy forces working behind the scenes. Throw in a few revenge plots, amazing battles that prioritize cunning over brute force, and a ninja world war, and you can see why Naruto is so beloved..
How to play Naruto Card Game
Naruto Card Game has each player build a deck of 51 cards, and each deck is centered around a “Leader” card. Support cards include Character, Chakra, Summon, and EX Character cards, and the overall goal is to reduce the Leader’s life points to zero. Here’s a quick breakdown of how each card works:
- Leader Card — The main card that a deck is built around, as a player’s cards and strategies are determined by the card color of their Leader
- Character Card — The frontline of a deck, Character Cards execute attacks and can unleash their unique jutsus on the battlefield
- Chakra Card — To pull off ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu attacks, you’ll need to spend the Chakra resource with these cards
- EX Character Card — Once certain conditions have been met, these powerful characters can turn the tide of battle
- Summon Card — To bring those game-changing characters to the battlefield, you’ll need to summon them with this special card
Naruto Card Game designs
Art is the heart and soul of any trading card game, and Naruto Card Game features a terrific selection of original illustrations from a range of artists, artwork from the anime, and even callbacks to the manga source material with illustrations by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto. Some of the cards shown off so far include fan-favorite characters like Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Jiraiya, and Itachi Uchiha.
When does Naruto Card Game launch?
Not for a while! The official launch date for Naruto Card Game is Summer 2027. If you’re interested, you can go hands-on with the card game at one of several events around the world in the months to come.
- Gen Con 2026 (United States, July 30 – August 2)
- Bandai Card Games Fest (11 Cities Worldwide, from October)
- New York Comic Con 2026 (United States, October 8 – 11)
- PAX Australia 2026 (Australia, October 9 – 11)
- Spiel Essen 2026 (Germany, October 22 – 25)
- Paris Games Week 2026 (France, October 22 – 25)
- Lucca Comics & Games 2026 (Italy, October 28 – November 1)
Meanwhile, you can also check out what lies in store for Magic: The Gathering, as 2027 is shaping up to be the biggest year yet for the popular TCG.
