Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH (KDE) today announced that the company is taking over all operational and business aspects of the worldwide phenomenon, Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, effective immediately.

KDE will take over distribution and customer support for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME from Upper Deck Panoceanic, C.V., the former exclusive distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME in Europe. The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME first took the Asian market by storm in 1996 and became a global sensation in 2002 as it reached the shores of North America, quickly followed by Europe and other territories. Today, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME continues to reach new milestones as the game evolves.

“Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is very pleased that the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME continues to be the number one TCG in the world. We are fully committed to maintaining a very high level of game support, from sales to organized play, and to providing a seamless transition during this process,” commented Kunio Neo, President of Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “We look forward to having distribution of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME within our corporate umbrella as it allows us to take advantage of the synergies from our existing gaming platforms to ensure continued great products for the Duelists and for our retail and distribution partners.”

About The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is the #1 trading card game in the world with over 18 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 Europe, North America and various countries in South and Central America.