Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has unveiled the newest update to the game's banlist for the February 2023 season, with two cards being newly banned. Since its launch last January, the online simulator for Konami's massively popular card game has seen huge success across multiple platforms. The game's launch saw record-breaking player counts on Steam and Konami has regularly updated the digital TCG throughout the year, adding more cards and game modes. Konami has also regularly made updates to the banlist for the Yu-Gi-Oh! game, with each monthly season typically receiving a new banlist.
Recent months have seen a more pronounced push from Konami to support a competitive scene for Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel. Konami's European branch officially announced the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Challenger Cup last November as a tournament series being hosted by several European content creators. The digital card game has also featured the "Duelist Cup" as a recurring competitive event, featuring a full leaderboard for players to compete with one another for the top spot. Now, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has revealed a plethora of updates to the game's banlist for the coming February season.
Konami officially revealed the new changes to the banlist through Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel's in-game news tab Tuesday night with two cards being banned from the game. The banlist update will see both "Toadally Awesome" and "Union Carrier" removed from the Ranked ladders for the card game. Toadally Awesome has been a powerful option for players to quickly access negation, both by summoning it with the effect of "Bahamut Shark" and using it with the upcoming "Spright" archetype. Union Carrier features a powerful effect letting players Equip Monsters from the Deck.
The update also sees several cards both moving to the Semi-Limited status and being removed from the banlist entirely. Powerful staples like "That Grass Looks Greener" and "There Can Be Only One" will be reduced from three copies to two while others like "Infernity Launcher" and "Conquistador of the Golden Land" will move up. Seven cards will be released from the banlist with the February update including strong cards like "Dinowrestler Pankratops" and "Scapegoat." The new banlist update is set to release on February 6th, just under two weeks after its announcement.
While some players will be disappointed to see cards like Toadally Awesome removed from the game's card pool, Master Duel's recent changes likely come as a pre-emptive hit. The upcoming "Spright" archetype, rumored to be coming to the game soon, features a powerful strategy surrounding Level 2 and Rank 2 Monsters that dominated the physical Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Union Carrier has also been a frequent complaint for establishing unfair and oppressive board states with cards like "Dragon Buster Destruction Sword." Master Duel's newest banlist will look to affect some of the game's most popular decks.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and mobile devices.