One Piece TCG Ban List & Block Rotation Update – Major Changes Coming!
The One Piece Trading Card Game (TCG) is getting a huge shake-up! Bandai has officially announced the latest banned cards update and introduced a block rotation system that will change how Standard format works starting in April 2026. Whether you’re a competitive player or just a casual collector, these updates will impact deck-building, tournaments, and the future of the game.
In this article, we’ll break down which cards are banned, how block rotation works, why Bandai is making these changes, community reactions, and what this means for One Piece TCG players moving forward.
🚨 One Piece TCG Ban List Update (March 2025)
Four major cards have officially been banned due to game balance concerns and limiting future card design. Here’s the full list and Bandai’s reasoning behind each ban:
🛑 OP06-086 Gecko Moria – TOO MUCH VALUE
✔️ Why It’s Banned:
This card allowed free Character plays, creating an unfair advantage in Black decks.
It had no Leader restrictions, meaning it could be abused in many strategies.
Future 8-cost cards would struggle to compete, limiting future set design.
🛑 OP07-045 Jinbe – EARLY GAME DOMINANCE
✔️ Why It’s Banned:
Jinbe combos with OP01-060 Donquixote Doflamingo and ST17-005 Marshall D. Teach allowed players to flood the board early.
Early-game low-cost Character spam created one-sided matches.
4-cost playmakers like Jinbe would be hard to balance in future expansions.
🛑 OP02-117 Ice Age – TOO POWERFUL FOR 1 COST
✔️ Why It’s Banned:
This was the only card that drastically lowered Character costs for just 1 cost, making it too efficient.
It broke cost-based effects and would limit future card development.
🛑 EB01-059 Kingdom Come – OVERPOWERED ENEL COMBO
✔️ Why It’s Banned:
When used with OP05-098 Enel, this card created an unstoppable defensive loop.
Future high-cost Characters would always have to be balanced around this card.
🔄 What is Block Rotation in One Piece TCG?
Starting April 2026, One Piece TCG will adopt a block rotation system similar to Pokémon TCG and Magic: The Gathering. This means that older card sets will rotate out of Standard format, keeping the meta fresh and preventing overpowered decks from dominating forever.
How Block Rotation Works in One Piece TCG:
Each block contains four main sets.
Every April, the oldest block rotates out.
Reprints of staple cards may be included in future sets to keep essential effects in play.
Here’s the official block rotation schedule:
✅ Block 1 (OP01 – OP04) – Rotates out in April 2026
✅ Block 2 (OP05 – OP08) – Becomes the oldest legal block
✅ Block 3 (OP09 – OP12) – Stays in Standard format
✅ Block 4 (OP13 – OP16) – Newest Standard sets
🌟 Eternal Format: Don’t worry! Older cards won’t be useless—they’ll still be legal in Eternal format and other special events!
📅 When Are These Changes Happening?
March 2025 – Ban list update takes effect (Gecko Moria, Jinbe, Ice Age, Kingdom Come banned).
April 2026 – Block 1 (OP01-OP04) rotates out of Standard.
Each following April, the oldest block will rotate out.
This gives players a full year to prepare for the upcoming block rotation.
🎮 Why is Block Rotation Necessary?
Bandai is implementing block rotation to:
✅ Keep the game fresh by removing overpowered older cards.
✅ Allow new players to jump in without needing every set.
✅ Help balance new releases without worrying about past broken combos.
Other TCGs that use block rotation:
✔️ Pokémon TCG – Rotates cards every year.
✔️ Magic: The Gathering – Rotates Standard format annually.
✔️ Yu-Gi-Oh! – Uses a ban list instead of full rotation but still limits older sets.
💬 Community Reactions – What Are Players Saying?
Reactions from the One Piece TCG Reddit community have been mixed:
🔥 Some players are excited:
✔️ “Rotation is good! Keeps the game fresh and stops broken decks from lasting forever.”
😡 Others are unhappy with the timing:
❌ “This game is too new for rotation! We haven’t even had enough time to enjoy the first sets!”
🤔 Some players see both sides:
💭 “I don’t love it, but at least Bandai gave us a year to prepare. I’ll just start collecting sets that won’t rotate soon.”
🤔 My Thoughts on the One Piece TCG Ban List & Block Rotation
🎙 Personally, I think block rotations are GOOD for the game. Some say it’s too soon, and maybe that’s true, but at least we have a full year’s notice.
I’m looking forward to making decks for new Leaders!
I love building decks, but keeping track of cards from every set takes too much time.
I understand why people don’t want to buy new cards every set, but Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering have done this for years, and it’s kept them alive!
🚀 What’s Next for One Piece TCG?
With block rotation, we’ll see new tournament formats emerge:
🏆 Standard Format – Only the most recent blocks.
♾️ Eternal Format – ALL cards are playable.
🎭 Limited Format – Specific blocks only.
