The original Yu-Gi-Oh anime and TCG released in the late ’90s and remain immensely popular today. Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS is the sixth entry in the franchise, introducing a new style of gameplay to both old and new fans alike. The general premise of the anime follows Yusaku Fujiki as he navigates and duels in a virtual space called LINK VRAINS (Virtual Reality Artificial Intelligence Network System.) Each Yu-Gi-Oh iteration is typically known for introducing fans to a new type of dueling, and Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS showed fans the concept of “Link Summoning.”
Yusaku fights against a hacker organization known as the Knights of Hanoi, but he has an alter-ego for duels; first, it was ‘Unknown,’ and then it turned into ‘Playmaker’ after meeting Cal Kolter. Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS also added a new type of duel to the TCG, known as ‘Speed Duels.’ As the name suggests, these games go faster than normal duels and function similarly to the mobile Yu-Gi-Oh game, Duel Links. Given the premise of Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS, it would make sense to see a VR game come to life based on the show and TCG additions.
Dueling in Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS
In Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS, duelists typically adopt online personas and appearances in order to duel in the virtual space called LINK VRAINS. Tons of people in the anime duel online in virtual reality, but none are quite as important as Yusaku, who has a complicated past with the Knights of Hanoi. The hacker organization is the main antagonist for the majority of the show but often loses to Yusaku thanks to his duel strategy.
The Link Summoning and Link Monsters mechanics are interesting in a few different ways. For starters, Link Monsters are only the second type of monster to not have a Level or Defense number. In Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL, monsters had no Level but still had a Defense statistic. Link Monsters have a “Link Rating” in place of a Level, and the Link Rating indicates the stipulations that must be fulfilled for a Link Summon. This means knowing how many Link Arrows the monster has, as well as how many Link Materials must be used to summon.
Why Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS Would Work in VR
Virtual Reality is a growing industry that consistently aims to raise the bar for what the experience feels like. Even popular franchises, like Wolfenstein, have leaned into producing VR games to immerse fans in the world. From the beginning, Yu-Gi-Oh has leaned into technology, introducing holograms and virtual monster battles in the first iteration of the franchise. As the franchise has released new spinoffs, the technology has improved with each series. Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS is based in a virtual reality world, making it a perfect opportunity for a VR game.
Duel Links is a fun simulation where players can take over the decks of their favorite characters (or duel against them) and generally feel immersed in a digital version of the TCG. However, it’s by no means a VR experience. Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS’ connection to VR already helps the potential game have a solid foundation, especially if players are in the LINK VRAINS space in-game. The protagonist and playable character could be Yusaku and players have to duel against the Knights of Hanoi. Or the game could be set after the events of the finale and players get to customize their own LINK VRAINS alter-ego, just like Yusaku. Either way, Yu-Gi-Oh fans would be immensely delighted to experience virtual duels on such an immersive platform.
Yu-Gi-Oh has always toyed with the idea of projected duels, but a VRAINS VR game would really seal the deal. The world of VRAINS is perfect for a VR experience and players who have dreamed about this for a long time would be over the moon with excitement. While there’s nothing set in stone about a Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS VR game, it’s undeniable that it would be an excellent contender for one.
Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links is available now for mobile and PC.