Digimon Alysion confirmed for 2026 launch as Pokémon TCG Pocket rival on mobile

Bandai Namco Entertainment has confirmed that Digimon Alysion, its free-to-play mobile card game based on the physical Digimon Card Game, will launch on iOS and Android in 2026. The confirmation came via the official Digimon Alysion X account, alongside news that a tie-in physical starter deck, Rubeusdramon/Yukinamon, will arrive in December 2026. No specific release date has been given yet.

Digimon Alysion was first announced at Digimon Con 2025 and held a closed beta test in August 2025 with 10,000 participants. Feedback from that test has been feeding into ongoing development, with UI redesigns, friend PvP, and additional language support all added since then. A second showing at Digimon Con in March 2026 revealed updated battle screens and improved Digivolution animations, suggesting the game is in a significantly more polished state than when it was first seen.

What the game is

Digimon Alysion adapts the physical Digimon Card Game, launched in 2020, into a digital format built for mobile play. Players build decks, evolve Digimon, and battle others online using the card game's Memory meter mechanic, which functions as a shared resource system that dictates turn flow. The digital version adds its own layer of content on top of the physical game's foundation, including original cards called DigiAly, new Digimon that debut exclusively in the app, and animated Digivolution sequences that play out during matches.

The game also includes a story mode, which takes place in the same universe as the Digimon Liberator web manga. Players follow a new protagonist named Kanata Hondo and her Digimon partner Gemmon as they enter T.A.L.E., a full-dive VR metaverse, to compete in card battles within a digital space called LACUNA. A rival character, Valner Dragnogh, is also confirmed. Between battles, the game includes Tamagotchi-style Digimon raising mechanics that let players bond with their partners outside of matches.

Positioning against Pokémon TCG Pocket

Digimon Alysion is being positioned as a direct competitor to Pokémon TCG Pocket, which generated over $1.6 billion in its first year and redefined what a mobile card game could earn. The Digimon Card Game has a significant and loyal player base in Japan and growing traction in the West, particularly since 2020, when the physical game launched and quickly built a competitive community. Whether Digimon Alysion can compete with the Pokémon brand on a global scale remains to be seen, but the IP recognition and the gap in the market for a second major monster-collecting TCG on mobile give it a genuine entry point.

Digimon Alysion does not yet have a listing on the App Store or Google Play. Digimon Alysion does not yet have a listing on the App Store or Google Play. Notebookcheck spoke with Final Fantasy Tactics composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, who revealed the iconic FFT soundtrack is rooted in rock ahead of the upcoming Colors of Harmony concert.