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Prerelease events: what they are, what they cost, and how to get a seat
A prerelease is the first chance to open and play a new set, at a local game store, a week or two before it's on shelves everywhere. Here's how it works for Lorcana, Riftbound and Pokémon this fall: the dates, what's in each kit, what stores charge and how to get a seat.
In short
- Early, at a fair price. Prereleases run in the week or two before a set comes out. The entry fee often comes close to what the kit and prize packs cost at MSRP.
- No cards needed. Everyone builds a deck from the packs in their kit, so a first-timer starts level. You keep what you open.
- This fall: Lorcana's Hyperia City and Riftbound's Radiance from October 16; Pokémon's Delta Reign from October 24.
- Seats are limited. Find a store in the game's official event finder and pay to hold your seat. Most listings we checked charged $30 to $40.
What a prerelease is
Publishers let game stores open a new set a week or two early to host a launch event. You build a deck on the spot from only what you open, a format called Sealed. All three companies pitch these as casual events. Ravensburger calls them Casual (Lorcana rules). Pokémon calls them entry-style (Play! Pokémon rules). Riot calls its Pre-Rift fun, social and casual (playriftbound.com).
- 1. Open your kitFresh packs from the new set, plus a promo card.
- 2. Build a deckAbout 30 minutes, using only what you opened.
- 3. Play about three roundsCasual games against other players. Three to six hours in all.
- 4. Keep everythingYour cards, plus prize packs (often one per win).
This fall's prereleases
Lorcana's Hyperia City and Riftbound's Radiance both open on Friday, October 16, and reach every store on October 23 (disneylorcana.com, playriftbound.com). Pokémon's Delta Reign follows on October 24, with release on November 6 (pokemon.com).
Lorcana's is the biggest. Ravensburger's event finder listed about 1,960 Hyperia City prereleases at US stores by early October, nearly four in five on the opening weekend (Ravensburger Play Hub).
Lorcana · Hyperia City
Riftbound · Radiance
Pokémon · Delta Reign
What's in the kit
Lorcana · $39.99
Hyperia City Prerelease Box
- 6 Hyperia City booster packs
- 1 of 6 promo cards
- 4 damage dice and a paper deck box
- A rules sheet
- A keepsake map of Hyperia City
Sold by game stores to their prerelease players, and on its own while it lasts. Not a big-box product. Some store pages still describe older boxes, so go by this list (Ravensburger, TheGamer, price: PHD Games).
Riftbound · no shelf price
Radiance Pre-Rift kit
- A 15-card mini-deck built around 1 of 9 new Legends
- 5 Radiance booster packs
- Stamped promo: Heimerdinger, Academy Instructor, while supplies last
Stores buy kits in 16-player cases that a distributor lists at $480, about $30 a player including prize packs. Riot says anything you open is yours (playriftbound.com, PHD Games).
Pokémon · $21.99
Delta Reign Build & Battle Box
- 4 Delta Reign booster packs
- A ready-to-play 40-card deck
- 1 of 4 foil promos: Masquerain, Magmortar, Enamorus or Kommo-o
Before November 6, stores may sell it only to prerelease players. Distributors list wider retail from November 20. Older boxes had a 23-card "evolution pack", and some store pages still say so (pokemon.com, Play! Pokémon guide, PHD Games).
If you're wondering what you might pull in Lorcana, our guide to Lorcana chase cards explains the rarities.
Deck rules at a glance
Lorcana
40+ cards
- Build from 6 packs
- Any number of inks, no 4-copy limit (most players still use two inks)
- Some stores run Pack Rush: 2 packs, first to 15 lore
Riftbound
25+ cards
- Mini-deck plus 5 packs
- Up to three domains, no copy limit
- The store supplies Runes
Pokémon
Exactly 40
- The box's deck plus 4 packs
- 30 minutes to build; Basic Energy from the store
- Play for 4 Prize cards, not 6
Each store picks one game or best of three per round. Pokémon recommends three prize packs for every player who finishes, and some stores say leaving early forfeits them. Sources: disneylorcana.com, Riftbound Tournament Rules, Play! Pokémon TCG handbook.
What it costs
Each store sets its own entry fee, and it usually tracks the price on the box. A $30 Pokémon entry is under the $35.46 that the box and three prize packs cost at MSRP. A $40 Lorcana entry pays for the $39.99 box. That makes a prerelease one of the fairer ways to open a set early, since in launch week sealed product often sells over MSRP (why sealed cards cost so much).
How to get a seat
Lorcana
Free account. Filter for "Hyperia City Prerelease".
Ravensburger says signing up holds your spot, but some stores count you only once you've paid them.
Riftbound
Sign in with a Riot ID.
Sign-ups moved here in September, and some store pages still mention the old site (Riot).
Pokémon
Set the event type to Prerelease. You'll need a Player ID from a Pokémon Trainer Club account.
Parents add one for a child under 13 with "Add a Child". Many stores ask for the ID at sign-up.
Seats are capped, and many stores hold a seat only once you've paid. One Pokémon prerelease we checked was already full four weeks ahead. Arrive at check-in time, because some stores give late arrivals' seats to the waitlist.
What to bring
- Your game ID and payment confirmation
- A phone (Riftbound pairings and results are on PlayRiftbound.com)
- Sleeves and dice are nice to have (the Lorcana box has dice)
- Water and a snack for a three-to-six-hour event
Younger players are welcome. Pokémon uses a parent-made child account, Riot asks under-13s for a parent's permission, and the Play Hub has a child-account option. A few events are adults-only, so check the listing.
What about One Piece?
Bandai runs store Release Events instead, starting about a week before a set comes out. OP-16's ran June 5–11 before a June 12 release (Bandai). Stores pick Sealed or Constructed, and you sign up in the Bandai TCG+ app. Dates for EB-05 (October 30) and OP-18 (November 20) weren't posted by early October. Our One Piece guide covers other ways to get a box at MSRP.
Prerelease, or wait for release day?
If you want to play, a prerelease is the earliest way in, at a fee that usually tracks the box price. If you'd rather buy boxes, watch Releases for dates, Windows for pre-orders and drops, and Deals for vetted shops at or near MSRP.
Entry fees are a sample of US store listings we checked on October 2, 2026, before tax; each store sets its own. Event counts are from Ravensburger's Play Hub in early October. Product images: Ravensburger (Disney Lorcana), Riot Games (Riftbound) and The Pokémon Company (pokemon.com). More sources: Disney Lorcana press release; Disney Lorcana prerelease guide; Riftbound products and sets into 2027; UVS Games, Radiance dates and details; Pokémon press release; One Piece OP-17.