Organized Play, Torrential Tides Fulfillment Timeline & The Return of MetaZoologists?

The June 23 edition of MetaZoo Monday may have been brief, but it offered a valuable look at where the game is headed—from upcoming OP plans to grassroots creativity in the card art and gameplay communities. Here’s what players need to know as MetaZoo prepares for the next wave.

The OP Roadmap and Prize Cards on the Horizon

With the Torrential Tides release fast approaching, players wanted to know what’s next for competitive play. One user asked directly if there was anything to tease from the upcoming Organized Play roadmap.

Charlie replied with a grin in text form:

Excited about? The exclusive prize cards, duh.

- Charlie Hurlocker

It was a short answer, but one that carried weight—MetaZoo’s competitive infrastructure appears to be expanding, and that includes unique rewards for tournament players. The full roadmap is expected to be released this week.

In the meantime, community members in the Caster's Cup Online as well as members of the Smoke Squad Collective have been putting on several tournaments coinciding with MetaZoo's presence at Collect-A-Cons throughout the country, most recently in Dallas, TX. Players are eagerly awaiting details for official organized play opportunities, and MetaZoo News will have all the details!

Torrential Tides Fulfillment Timelines: Why the Wait?

Some in the community have noticed a slower fulfillment timeline for Torrential Tides compared to the speedy release of the Base Set. Charlie addressed that candidly when asked:

Candidly, our distribution partners were really awesome to us distributing on a super short window.

- Charlie Hurlocker

But to support long-term growth—especially internationally—MetaZoo had to adjust to more standardized timelines:

In order to grow distribution globally and to be the best possible partner to our existing distribution partners who have been awesome and loyal so far, we need to continue moving toward more standard distribution windows.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Even with the change, MetaZoo is still ahead of industry norms:

We are still substantially below the industry norm for sell-in windows at distro.

- Charlie Hurlocker

And importantly, Charlie emphasized that this longer window does not mean it’s print-to-demand:

The sell-in window has nothing to do with the decisions on print quantity. In both cases, we make the call based on what we think is best for the game with the data available to us and the goals we have for the game.”

- Charlie Hurlocker

Competitive Resources: Where Do New Players Go?

Without official organized play details available, where should prospective casters go to get the latest theory-crafting, deck-building and online play? When asked this question, Charlie had two main suggestions:

Seconding the Caster Cup option. I think Immortal [workshops] also has some options for seeing some decklists and such?

- Charlie Hurlocker

If you are interested in learning more about the Caster's Cup Online, click HERE to read our interview with their leadership, and click HERE to access their discord! They are an organization all about online competitive play through Tabletop Simulator that offers a friendly environment to learn the game as well as commune with fellow casters.

If you're interested in building a deck or seeing some great community builds, click HERE to access Immortal Workshop's MetaZoo deck-builder!

Charlie went on to acknowledge that there’s still a lot of opportunity in this space:

A lot of room for people to start building that audience early. Definitely a space where we could see a lot more growth.

- Charlie Hurlocker

As Organized Play ramps up, expect more attention on community-led gameplay content.

Claymation Cards? Charlie Loves the Idea

Asked if MetaZoo might ever do cards in a claymation style, Charlie shared some childhood nostalgia and creative inspiration:

Would be sweet. Actually a few different art mediums I would love to see eventually incorporated... But clay has a soft spot with me. Growing up, my brother and I used to collect the 'clay cards' in Pokémon... Aardman studios was also a really big part of my childhood and I still see everything they put out that I notice is coming.

- Charlie Hurlocker

While nothing official has been announced, it’s clear that the idea has support at the top and resonates well with the fans.

Will We See the Return of MetaZoologists?

One user raised a very practical concern: their local shop had a gameplay question during a demo—but no one knew where to turn for clarification. Charlie acknowledged this and confirmed that support is coming:

This has been considered and yes, there will be a handful of solutions that all work together. Especially during peak tournament times (Friday–Sunday)... More to come. But I hear you for sure.

- Charlie Hurlocker

This signals that MetaZoo is developing a system to train or certify gameplay experts—a necessary step for sustained OP success and is reminiscent of the old MetaZoologist certification that the previous iteration of the game employed to help get gameplay experts out there in the field. Whether individuals will gain the title of MetaZoologists remains to be seen, but it would be a nice nod to the game's past.

MetaZoo Monday remains as much about fun and connection as it is about policy and reveals—and the blend continues to define the brand’s community-driven approach.With prize cards on the way, gameplay infrastructure in the works, and room for both pizza gators and clay cryptids, the MetaZoo community continues to grow in both structure and style. Stay tuned this week for the full OP roadmap drop.