Yu-Gi-Oh!'s next core booster set, Beyond the Brave, reaches Official Tournament Stores on October 7 and goes on general release October 9, 2026. Our Yu-Gi-Oh! week is changing at the same time: from October 9, Advanced and Genesys run on Friday nights instead of Thursdays, and Time Wizard stays on Tuesdays. Here's what the release dates mean for your deck, which format runs on which night, and the one free app you need before you sit down. Konami has also announced the first TCG set of 2027, Immortal Phoenix, so we cover that at the end.
Everything below comes from Konami's official pages, checked October 3, 2026, and linked where it appears. Where something depends on a store decision that hasn't been announced yet, we say so.
Beyond the Brave: the confirmed facts
Konami's Beyond the Brave product page Opens in a new tab. lists:
- Official Tournament Store launch: October 7, 2026
- General release: October 9, 2026
- Tournament legal date: October 9, 2026
- Set size: 100 cards (10 Secret Rares, 14 Ultra Rares, 26 Super Rares, 50 Commons), with 5 cards also available as extended-art Ultra Rares and Starlight Rares, and 20 more available as Starlight Rares
- MSRP: $4.49 per pack
The set brings new cards for Joey Wheeler's "Dark Time Wizard" strategy and Aster Phoenix's "Destiny HERO" archetype, an ocean-themed "Atlantis" strategy, "Ashtra" Trap-focused monsters, and support for existing archetypes including "Endymion," "Clown Crew" and "Predaplant."
Advanced moves to Fridays, starting on the legal date
From Friday, October 9, our Advanced/Genesys tournament runs on Fridays from 6 to 9 PM Pacific. That first Friday is also the day Konami lists as Beyond the Brave's tournament legal date, so by Konami's date the new cards can go into an Advanced deck from that night on.
Our Friday listing says the format is announced for each event, so check whether October 9 is Advanced or Genesys before you build. Konami's Genesys page Opens in a new tab. doesn't give a separate date for new cards. If the night is Genesys and you want to play Beyond the Brave cards, ask the staff running it before you register your deck.
Which format runs on which night
We run two weekly Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments, both 6 to 9 PM Pacific.
Tuesday: Time Wizard. Konami describes Time Wizard as "an alternate format for local tournaments that is offered by Official Tournament Stores" to let Duelists enjoy the game's full history. The hosting store picks a date, and the card pool, Forbidden & Limited List and game rules are matched to that period Opens in a new tab.. If a card was released before the chosen date, a later reprint is fine. If a card received errata after that date, you use the original text. New sets like Beyond the Brave only matter here once an era that includes them is chosen, so for now, Tuesday is about the deck you'd have played back then.
Friday: Advanced or Genesys. Advanced is the standard competitive format, using the current Forbidden & Limited List. Genesys is Konami's point-based format. According to Konami's Genesys page Opens in a new tab.:
- "Most cards cost zero points," and some are assigned a point value.
- The combined points in your Main, Extra and Side Deck can't exceed the event's point cap.
- The standard cap is 100, but Official Tournament Stores "can set their own caps for their tournaments."
- No Link Monsters or Pendulum Monsters are allowed. All other cards are.
Check each week's listing on our Events calendar Opens in a new tab. to see whether Friday is Advanced or Genesys, and what cap applies if it's Genesys.
The one app you need: Yu-Gi-Oh! NEURON
Konami's NEURON page Opens in a new tab. is direct about it: "Starting April 1, 2026: Duelists will need the official Yu-Gi-Oh! NEURON tournament support app to register for TCG events at Official Tournament Stores." The app is free on iOS and Android.
You also need a CARD GAME ID tied to a KONAMI ID. Konami's KONAMI Card Game Network page Opens in a new tab. gives two ways to get one: register online through the KONAMI Card Game Network, or install NEURON and choose "KONAMI ID/Card Game ID" registration from the menu. The same page links a separate guide on KONAMI IDs and CARD GAME IDs for children, which parents should read first.
Why do this at home? Our event listings say all Duelists need a KONAMI CARD GAME ID and must check in before play begins. Setting up an account at the table eats into check-in time for you and everyone waiting. Once it's done, NEURON also lets you register decks for tournaments, see your tournament history, scan cards with your camera, and use its life point calculator and coin toss during games. If you get stuck, bring your phone and ask us.
Looking ahead: Immortal Phoenix (January 2027)
Konami's Immortal Phoenix product page Opens in a new tab. lists an Official Tournament Store launch of January 27, 2027 and general release and tournament legal date of January 29, 2027. It follows the same 100-card rarity breakdown and $4.49-per-pack MSRP as Beyond the Brave. Konami lists four focuses: reimagined "Sun God" cards built around Marik's monsters, new "Salamangreat" cards, "Winter Raven" cards continuing the "Sinful Spoils" story, and a new "Celestigard" Xyz archetype. ICv2 reported the announcement Opens in a new tab. on September 22, 2026.
That's four months away. It's worth knowing about if you play Salamangreat or Sinful Spoils, but it isn't a reason to change what you're building this fall.
Planning your pulls and trades
A few suggestions for release week:
- Decide what you're opening for. Building a Dark Time Wizard or Destiny HERO deck is a different purchase from chasing a Starlight Rare.
- Check what's actually listed. Our Yu-Gi-Oh! shop page Opens in a new tab. shows current availability and requestable products. We can't promise any product before it's listed there.
- Wait a week on expensive singles. Prices on new cards tend to move a lot in the first days after release.
- Trade toward the deck. If you have cards from an older build, our sell and trade page Opens in a new tab. explains how we buy.
FAQ
Did Yu-Gi-Oh! Advanced move? Yes. From October 9, Advanced/Genesys runs on Fridays from 6 to 9 PM. Time Wizard stays on Tuesdays at the same time.
Can I use Beyond the Brave cards on Friday, October 9? Konami lists October 9 as the tournament legal date, so they're legal in Advanced from that night. If that night's listing says Genesys, ask the staff running the event.
Do I really need the NEURON app to play? Konami says NEURON is required to register for TCG events at Official Tournament Stores starting April 1, 2026, and our listings require a KONAMI CARD GAME ID and check-in. Set both up before you arrive.
What era is Tuesday's Time Wizard? It's announced for each event. Check that week's listing, or ask us at (949) 688-0820 or support@tcg-tavern.com.
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.