Quick Answer
Future Card Buddyfight is a completed game. Bushiroad stopped producing new product in 2020, which means no new sets are coming and there is no active organised play. What does exist is a full card pool across six years of releases, a secondary market with generally fair prices, and a game that is actually fun to play if you can find a group. Buy it with realistic expectations and you will not regret it.
What Buddyfight Was and Why It Ended
Future Card Buddyfight launched in Japan in 2014 alongside an anime of the same name. Bushiroad, the publisher behind games like Weiss Schwarz and Cardfight!! Vanguard, ran the game in English from 2014 through to 2020. At its peak in Australia, most mid-to-large hobby stores carried it and there were regular locals events in capital cities.
The game wound down in 2020, officially ending its print run and competitive support. Bushiroad never gave a definitive public explanation, but the timing aligned with declining sales and growing competition from One Piece and other Bandai titles that were absorbing the anime-TCG audience.
The anime connection was always the game's strongest selling point. The series followed Gao Mikado, a young brawler who teams up with a fire dragon named Bal from a parallel world called Dragon World. Each World in the card game mapped directly to the characters and themes of the anime, which meant fans of the show knew exactly what they wanted to play.
Understanding the Worlds
This is where Buddyfight gets genuinely interesting. The game is organised into distinct Worlds, each with its own card pool, playstyle, and aesthetic identity. You build a deck around one World, and that choice defines almost everything about how you play.
Dragon World is the flagship World, centred on Gao and Bal. It plays an aggressive, attack-focused game with high-power monsters and direct damage effects. Dragon World cards are the easiest to find on the secondary market and the most beginner-friendly to pilot.
Magic World runs on spell-like cards called spells (sensibly enough) and plays a combo-heavy game, setting up chains of effects that generate value over multiple turns. More complex than Dragon World but rewarding once you understand the sequences.
Danger World features barbarian and beast monsters from a primitive dimension. It is the most direct aggro World, focused on combat tricks and power boosts during the battle phase.
Katana World draws on Japanese feudal themes with samurai and ninja monsters. It plays a more defensive, counter-oriented game, building a wall and punishing the opponent for attacking into it.
Star Dragon World entered later in the game's life and features mecha and sci-fi themes. It introduced new mechanics around Planets and Battleship cards that added another layer to deck construction.
Ancient World centres on ancient mythology and giant monster themes. It uses Set cards in ways that modify the field permanently, creating an attrition-style game where your persistent effects outlast the opponent's resources.
What It Costs to Get In
The secondary market has generally settled into reasonable price territory since the game ended. Early sets from 2014 and 2015 are the cheapest, and they contain many of the most iconic cards from the anime. Later sets from 2018 to 2020 carry higher prices for specific Buddy Rare cards that were strong in competitive play.
Approximate costs on the secondary market:
| Item | Approximate Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Trial Deck | $10 to $25 |
| Booster pack | $4 to $12 |
| Booster box | $60 to $150 |
| Buddy Rare singles | $5 to $80+ |
The Buddy Rare is the signature card of each deck, the equivalent of your commander or flagship monster. Strong Buddy Rares from competitive sets can still carry significant prices even on the secondary market.
Facebook groups dedicated to Buddyfight Australia are also worth checking. Players selling off collections often list there first before going to eBay, and prices tend to be better.
Is There Still a Community?
The organised competitive scene is gone. Bushiroad no longer supports events for the game. What remains is a casual community of existing players who love the game and are happy to play with new people who share that interest.
Australian Buddyfight communities exist on Facebook and Discord. They are small but active. If you can find a few people through those channels who are willing to teach you the game, the experience is genuinely enjoyable. The game was well-designed and holds up fine as a casual card game even without new product.
The C3 Take
Buddyfight is a game that deserved a longer run. The World system gives each deck a clear identity, the anime connection makes the card lore accessible, and the gameplay is more strategic than its family-friendly presentation suggests. The fact that it ended in 2020 does not make the cards stop being fun to play with.
Buy it if you find a collection at a fair price, particularly if the Dragon World anime theme appeals to you. Do not buy it expecting organised play, growing card values, or new product to collect. Accept it as a completed game with a passionate small community and it delivers real value for the right player.
What to Read Next
- Browse Buddyfight cards at /cards/buddyfight
- Looking for a game with an active Australian scene? /quizzes/which-tcg-extended
- See all TCG card tools at /tools