Exclusive: Disney Lorcana pricing, release date info, a new card, and more

GamesRadar+ can exclusively reveal exactly when Disney Lorcana (the new trading card game that's going up against Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon) will be releasing, not to mention how much it'll cost.

Split up into two parts, Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter will land slightly earlier in hobby or specialist stores before seeing a full launch. More specifically, Set 1 will be challenging the best card games on shelves this August 18 in specialty/hobby stores, followed by a full mass-market retail launch as of September 1. 

As for Set 2, that'll be coming a little later down the line. To be precise, it'll arrive this November 17 for specialty/hobby stores, and December 1 at mass-market retail.

We can also pull back the curtain on how much it'll all cost. Although you'll find the full details below, starter decks weigh in at $16.99 in the USA and £17.99 in the UK, while booster packs tend to be priced around $5.99 / £4.99 each. Finally, the Illumineer's Trove hovers around the top end of the range at $49.99 / £49.99... but it does feature full-art deck boxes, boosters, damage counters, and a rulebook with deckbuilding tips, strategies, and artwork.

Want a sneak peek of what's inside the Illumineer's Trove itself? No problem - your wish is our command.

You may have also noticed that the artwork at the top of this article is new. This is from a previously-unseen card for Disney Lorcana illustrated by Grace Tran, the third Steel card that's been unveiled to date. It shows off Tinker Bell – Tiny Tactician, and you can see the card itself below.

Anyway, here's all that juicy info on pricing for each Disney Lorcana item in detail. Just note that the following items are all part of Set 1 - we don't have details for Set 2 yet.

Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter starter deck(s)

There are three First Chapter starter decks in total (Amber & Amethyst, Sapphire & Steel, or Emerald & Ruby), but they all include a pre-balanced and ready-to-play deck consisting of 60 cards using two 'ink' types. Also featured are 2 foil cards of the characters on the packaging, plus:

• 1 booster pack of 12 random additional game cards
• 11 damage counters
• 1 tracker token
• 1 paper playmat

Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter booster packs

Includes 12 randomized game cards, including one foil card of random rarity level and two cards with rarities of rare, super rare, or legendary. The other 9 cards are a mix of common and uncommon cards.

Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter Gift Set

This pack doesn't get you a ready-to-play deck, but it does include two oversized, collectible foil cards and two regular-size playable foil game cards of Mulan – Imperial Soldier and Hades – King of Olympus. Along with that, you're receiving:

• 4 booster packs
• 2 Lore tracker tokens
• 32 damage counters

Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter Illumineer's Trove

This pack is the most expensive Lorcana product so far, but it's also got the most swag inside - particularly if you're a collector. You're getting:

• Full-art storage box
• 2 full-art deck boxes featuring Aurora and Mickey Mouse
• 8 booster packs
• 15 damage counters
• 50+ page, full-color player’s guide printed on thick and glossy paper with art from the game, deckbuilding tips, game strategies, powerful card combinations direct from the design team, a checklist for keeping track of collected cards, and a visual guide to Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter

Plenty of accessories will be hitting stores alongside this Set 1 lineup of Disney Lorcana, ranging from card sleeves to playmats, and they'll all be available separately.

So, what will Set 2 look like? We don't have any details yet, but there certainly seems to be enough narrative to power the game for a couple of Sets at the very least beyond this first wave; according to the recently-released story overview, you'll use the magical inkcaster to create glimmers - a "new version of the character that only exists in this world... You’ll summon glimmers to quest with you as you search for missing lore in a race against time. Only together can you protect this wondrous realm from threats."

What are those threats? We'll have to wait and see.

Lorcana should make pretty great Disney gifts when they launch, and good gifts for gamers if the person in question loves the House of Mouse.