It has been over 20 years since the very first YCS, and now it’s almost time for the 300th YCS in Richmond, Virginia! 2252 Duelists registered to compete in the Advanced Format Main Event for this milestone tournament, while 233 more signed up to compete in the Genesys Proto-YCS. At the end of the weekend, two Duelists will leave as champions of these events!

While Duelists compete here in Richmond, Virginia, two separate Advanced Format tournaments – in Dortmund, Germany and in Guadalajara, Mexico – are also taking place as part of the massive 300th YCS celebration! At each location, the competition will be fierce. A new Forbidden & Limited List just took effect on February 2, 2026, and Duelists are still adjusting to the changes that shook the Dueling world.

Plus, the release of Burst Protocol on February 6, 2026 introduced powerful new cards to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD for Duelists to use. The new “Elfnote” theme gives Duelists new strategies to explore, while existing Decks benefit from several new cards in Burst Protocol. Fallen of the White Dragon has emerged as a top pick for “Branded” strategies, while K9-X “Ripper/M” and Tri-Brigade Springans Kitt enhance “K9” and “Tri-Brigade” strategies respectively. The “Rokket”, “Radiant Typhoon”, “Fur Hire”, and “Exosister” themes also got a variety of powerful cards that help them rise to a new competitive level. Among all of the theme-specific support in Burst Protocol, Forbidden Crown has emerged as a top tech card that virtually any Deck can use. Forbidden Crown has the power to afflict a monster with a variety of weaknesses (and protection) and players can’t activate monster effects in response to its activation, making it a useful card in just about every situation.

While many eyes are on Burst Protocol’s impact on the Advanced Format, its potential impact on the Genesys Proto-YCS can’t be ignored. Many of the most powerful cards in Burst Protocol are neither Link Monsters nor Pendulum Monsters, allowing them to make a splash in the newest way to Duel. In a historic change, there are are two Main Events this weekend at the 300th YCS in Richmond, Virginia, with the usual Advanced Format YCS taking place alongside the new Genesys Proto-YCS. Each event will award players fantastic prizes!

The Duelists are still shuffling into the Greater Richmond Convention Center as they prepare for one of the largest tournaments of their lives.

You can watch the action live on Twitch and YouTube, and follow the written coverage right here on the blog. It’s almost time to Duel, and you won’t want to miss it!