Hello, rulers!
Throughout 2024, we have been working on a new competitive format for Force of Will, called Paradox.
We designed Paradox to be a format that can be played in tournaments in addition to Wanderer and Arcana Battle Colosseum, to allow for more competitive options.
Paradox is directly related to “Masterpiece 02: Fates Reunited!", as its appearance coincides with a historical event in Force of Will: the splitting of the timeline in two. It will become official as soon as MP02 is released, at late February 2025.
The structure of Paradox
This format is based on cluster rotation. In Paradox, players may use only cards from the last three clusters released and the latest Masterpiece collection released. This will allow players to build decks with a specific range of cards, which will be a new way to experience Force of Will.
As the “Paradoxical Timeline” begins with the Hero Cluster, when Paradox becomes legal with the release of MP02, this will include:
- Hero Cluster (HSD Aristella, HSD Asuka, NWE, TUS, TWS, CMB, CST, JRP)
- Trinity Cluster (TSD1, TSD2, TTT, TSR, TEU)
- Masterpiece 02: Fates Reunited!
Paradox, while rotative, keep cards in the format for approximately three years (sometimes, even more!), as the 1st Cluster will only rotate out of Paradox when the 4th Cluster comes in. Additionally, to prevent format stagnation, each year a Masterpiece Collection will leave Paradox, and a new Masterpiece Collection will be added to the format, changing the game experience for players by adding new strategies and never-before-seen cards.
Example:
The Hero Cluster will remain in Paradox during 2025 (together with Trinity Cluster and Devil* Cluster), and will remain in Paradox until late 2026, when a new cluster will be released (Provisional name: X* Cluster).
The Trinity Cluster will remain in Paradox during 2025 (together with Hero Cluster and Devil* Cluster), will remain in Paradox during 2026 (together with Hero Cluster and Devil* Cluster), will remain in Paradox during 2027 (together with Devil* Cluster and the X* Cluster), and will remain in Paradox until 2028 (together with Devil* Cluster and the X* Cluster), when a new cluster will be released (Provisional name: Y* Cluster).
Masterpiece 02: Fates Reunited! will remain in Paradox during 2025 (together with Hero Cluster, Trinity Cluster and Devil* Cluster), until 2026, when Masterpiece Collection 03 will be released.
Masterpiece Collection 03 will remain in Paradox during 2026 (together with Trinity Cluster, Devil* Cluster and X* Cluster), until 2027, when Masterpiece Collection 04 will be released.
The playability of cards in Paradox is very long. That allows players to choose for their decks certain cards in Paradox that would be different than their choices in Wanderer, increasing the diversity of both formats. Also, each year, players will discover new Rulers from past sets thanks to the Masterpiece Collections, that are designed to be a great introduction to the Wanderer format.
Questions and Answers from Paradox
Question: Will Paradox replace Wanderer as the main competitive format?
Answer: No. We'll continue to support all three of our Force of Will formats simultaneously. Starting with T3 (Timeless Eclipse of the Underworld), we have developed the collections with Wanderer and Paradox in mind, and we will continue releasing exclusive ABC collections and decks, and more.
Question: Which cards exactly will be legal in Paradox?
Answer: For a non-promotional card to be legal in Paradox, it must have the collection number of one of the sets legal in Paradox at that time.
For a promotional card (including Memory Collection cards, WGP Champion Cards, RL cards, WL cards, WPR cards, World cards, SOUVENIR cards, etc) to be legal in Paradox, it must belong to a set that is currently in Paradox or it must be a reprint of a card from a set that is currently in Paradox.
So, when Paradox becomes legal with the release of MP02, the following set codes will be the codes that will be legal in Paradox: HSD, NWE, TUS, TWS, CMB, CST, JRP, including H1, H2, H3, H4, H5 & H6 Buy a Box and Prerelease cards, TSD1, TSD2, TTT, TSR, TEU, including T1, T2 & T3 Buy a Box and Prerelease cards, and MP02.
Question: Will Paradox have a different banlist than Wanderer or ABC?
Answer: Yes. Wanderer, Paradox, and ABC will have their own and different banned lists. We will use this website to announce these lists, as we usually do. Since Paradox will be a much smaller format than Wanderer, its banned lists will be also much smaller and the duration of the cards in them will depend exclusively on the time left for its rotation out of Paradox.
Question: When will the Paradox banned list and combination banned list be published?
Answer: The Paradox banned list and the Paradox combination banned list will be published at the same time than the next Wanderer banned list, Wanderer combination banned list, and ABC banned list. From now on, the announcements of the banned list and combination banned list of every format of Force of Will will be announced together.
Question: Will there be more GPs in each region so both formats can be played in competitive events?
Answer: We have been working very hard together with all the distributors from all over the world to achieve this. We will try to increase the number of GPs in 2025, so each region has the opportunity to host more events this year. Please, check the official websites of each region for more information about these events during 2025.
Question: Will the format of the WGP be Wanderer or Paradox?
Answer: The format of WGP 2025 will be Paradox, and the format of WGP 2026 will be Wanderer. We plan to alternate the format of the WGP each year. The format for WGP 2026 might be updated in the future. Please, wait for the official announcement of WGP 2026 at the first quarter of 2026.
The Development Team