Upper Deck Is Suing Ravensburger Over Disney Lorcana

Two of the biggest names in tabletop gaming are heading to court, and Disney is at the center of the dispute.

Today, Upper Deck announced that it was suing Ravensburger over the game design and core mechanics of Disney Lorcana.

For those who don’t know Disney Lorcana is an upcoming interactive trading-card game similar to Magic: The Gathering or Pokemon. The game allows players to create custom decks of Disney characters before battling their decks to see who emerges as the winner.

In the suit, Upper Deck is alleging that former designer Ryan Miller copied plans for Upper Deck’s original game Rush of Ikorr and used his inside knowledge to help create Lorcana.

The Timeline

According to Upper Deck, Miller worked with Upper Deck on Rush of Ikorr for a year and a half before leaving the project to work with Ravensburger. There, Upper Deck says Miller transferred his work on Rush of Ikorr to Disney Lorcana, which they claim has uncanny similarities to Ikorr.

In the complaint, Upper Deck further states that despite Miller’s departure, they continued to work on Rush of Ikorr, a game that had not been publically announced yet. When Lorcana’s rules were revealed, the company noticed the games were nearly identical.

Upper Deck’s President Responds

“We invested significant time and resources to develop a new and novel trading card game. Our current leadership values the importance of protecting intellectual property of both Upper Deck and its licensors,” Upper Deck President Jason Masherah said.

Photo: Disney

“We want gamers and fans to continue enjoying and having access to unique, innovative and immersive trading card games,” Masherah continued. “We encourage competition in the industry. But also strongly believe in playing by the rules to ensure the gaming community benefits from the different creative choices by each manufacturer.”

While Disney is not named, or involved, in the lawsuit, it remains to be seen whether or not the pending litigation will affect the game’s launch. Disney Lorcana is currently expected to hit stores on August 18, 2023.

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