If you've been sleeving up green Dracule Mihawk for Saturday tournaments, Saturday, October 10 is your last tournament with it. On September 24, 2026, Bandai announced that OP14-020 Dracule Mihawk is banned starting October 12, 2026, including its parallel and alternate-art versions. It's the only new addition on this ban list.
Below is what Bandai actually said, what's still on the list, and what it means if you play One Piece at our shop on La Paz Road. We've kept the confirmed facts and our own read separate, so you can tell which is which.
What Bandai announced
According to Bandai's official banned/restricted notice Opens in a new tab. (announced September 24, effective October 12, 2026):
- OP14-020 Dracule Mihawk is banned. The notice says it applies to parallel and alt-art printings too, so no version of this Leader can be used.
- The reason: Bandai's development team wrote that certain combinations involving the card "have become more powerful than we had anticipated," and that it "significantly restricts the viability of Leader cards with the {Slash} attribute and severely harms the diversity of Leader selection."
- A replacement is coming. Bandai says a new Leader, P-163 Dracule Mihawk, with revised card text, will be distributed at future events. The notice doesn't say which events or when.
OP14-020 is the green Mihawk Leader from BOOSTER PACK -THE AZURE SEA'S SEVEN- Opens in a new tab. [OP14-EB04], which released in English on January 16, 2026. Bandai's own recommended deck feature Opens in a new tab. for it describes a plan built around resting your cards to activate DON!! and playing swordsmen with rest-triggered effects.
Why it happened
Bandai's notice gives the official reason above. For context, ShufflePhase's coverage of the ban Opens in a new tab. (September 24, 2026) reports that the Leader picked up support from later products (ST32 and OP17) and went on to win a run of major events, including the North American Season 1 Finals in Dallas. That's a news site's summary, not Bandai's wording, but it matches what Bandai describes: one Leader crowding out the others that share its Slash attribute.
Bandai's ban list page Opens in a new tab. also explains how it decides. The team watches win rates, results from major tournaments, usage rates and the effect on other Leaders, and usually announces changes after Japan's Championship Season 1 and after the World Championship, though it says it can act sooner.
The full list from October 12
Here's everything Bandai lists as banned for the English version (North America, Europe, Oceania, Latin America and the Middle East) once the change takes effect. There are currently no restricted cards.
Banned cards
- OP14-020 Dracule Mihawk (new)
- OP06-047 Charlotte Pudding
- OP03-040 Nami
- OP06-086 Gecko Moria
- ST10-001 Trafalgar Law
- OP06-116 Reject
Banned pairs (you can play either card, but not both in the same deck)
- OP07-115 I Re-Quasar Helllp!! + EB04-058 Borsalino
- OP11-040 Monkey D. Luffy + OP11-067 Charlotte Katakuri
- OP11-040 Monkey D. Luffy + OP08-069 Charlotte Linlin
If you haven't checked the list in a while, it's worth a look even if you don't play Mihawk.
What it means at the Tavern
Our One Piece Card Game Saturday Store Tournament runs from 3 to 6 PM, and it's listed on our Events calendar Opens in a new tab.. Here's how the dates line up:
- Saturday, October 10: the ban isn't in effect yet, so OP14-020 is still legal. It's the last Saturday tournament where you can play it.
- Saturday, October 17 onward: the ban is in effect. Decks using OP14-020 as their Leader, in any printing, can't be played.
Our One Piece listing says Bandai TCG+ registration and reporting apply to official events. If you haven't set up a Bandai TCG+ account yet, do it before you arrive so check-in goes smoothly.
About the P-163 replacement: Bandai hasn't said which events will hand it out or when. We don't know yet whether it will come through our store, so please don't count on getting one here. Ask staff, and we'll share what we know once Bandai or our distributor confirms it.
If you play Mihawk
Our suggestions, which are opinion rather than official guidance:
- Pick your next Leader before October 17, not on the day. Use your last legal Saturday, October 10, to try a couple of options while you can still fall back on the deck you know.
- Check which of your cards carry over. Many of the swordsmen and Seven Warlords cards in a Mihawk list aren't banned and may fit another green or Slash Leader. Only the Leader card itself is on the list.
- Thinking about trading out? Our sell and trade page Opens in a new tab. explains how we buy and trade cards. We can't predict what any card will be worth after a ban, so we'll quote on the day you bring it in.
If you collect
A ban changes what you can play, not what you own. Your OP14-020 parallels and alt-arts are still the same cards. We won't guess where prices go, and we'd treat anyone who claims to know with some caution. If you're keeping a copy you care about, our guide to card storage, from penny sleeves to slabs Opens in a new tab. covers how to protect it.
FAQ
Can I still use OP14-020 Mihawk on Saturday, October 10? Yes. The ban takes effect October 12, 2026, so it's legal at our October 10 tournament, the last one before the ban.
Does the ban cover the alt-art and parallel versions? Yes. Bandai's notice says parallel and alt-art versions are included.
Will the Tavern have the new P-163 Mihawk Leader? We don't know yet. Bandai says it will be distributed at future events but hasn't said which ones. Ask staff for the latest.
Is anything restricted rather than banned? Not as of October 12. Bandai lists no restricted cards, only banned cards and banned pairs.
*Questions? Call us at (949) 688-0820 or stop by Garden Plaza on La Paz Road.*
Plan what comes next
Follow the release beyond the headline.
Use the Quest Board for sourcing requests, then check the event calendar for confirmed local play.