From Flex Decks to Tournament Towers: MetaZoo’s Organized Play Vision

During the July 8th MetaZoo Monday discussion on Discord, Charlie Hurlocker and Travis from GQL offered a detailed look at the future of Organized Play (OP) and gameplay development. This conversation revealed how MetaZoo is laying a foundation for sustainable, competitive play—while keeping things flexible and fun.

OP Infrastructure Still Under Construction

When asked about the current state of Organized Play rules and materials, Charlie confirmed that things are still very much in development—but progressing steadily thanks to early planning from the R&D team.

OP will hit its stride after Torrential Tides drops. But everything is progressing. Compendium, judge tests, OP buildout, etc. Everything you will want and need is under development. Fortunately, R&D was smart and started building a lot of the core pieces we need along the way. So we are feeling good about the pace of that.”

- Charlie Hurlocker

While a formal launch date hasn’t been confirmed, the framework—including tournament software, policy documents, and testing materials—is already in motion. And for stores and organizers looking to prepare early, MetaZoo’s partnership with Carde.io will be key.

Carde.io is always available to onboard for everything and because the OP software will be with them, it should be the most straightforward way. We will have in-depth guides and super solid information when it gets rolling.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Flex & Dynamic Decks Every Set? Not So Fast

A new player asked whether Flex Decks—or other pre-constructed products—would be tied to Torrential Tides. Charlie clarified that while Flex Decks were important for onboarding, they won’t be released with every set:

I do not believe Flex Decks will come with every release. We don’t think of it as explicitly tied to a set. It’s an ancillary product in support of demo and play.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Instead, he pointed new players toward something else teased during the OP Showcase: Dynamic Decks, which are designed to bring flexible but structured gameplay experiences into OP environments.

Though exact details haven’t been shared, the implication is clear: Dynamic Decks will offer a new style of supported, pre-built gameplay for local events and teaching tools—possibly more scalable than Flex Decks.

Mulligan Rule Discussion: “Try Again”

One fan asked a long-standing question in the community: Will MetaZoo ever have an official mulligan rule?

Travis from GQL chimed in with a clear but flexible answer:

We view mulligan rules as an OP rule and not a core rule of the game. We’ll certainly get all that out in a timely manner with OP but we’re not ready to do so yet.

- Travis Nunlist, Lead Game Designer

While some formats and casual groups may use their own mulligan systems, Travis offered his personal favorite:

I think the easiest thing to do (and my personal favorite) is everyone gets to just ‘try again’ and shuffle their 5 back in for another try if they don’t like their hand—but you’re stuck with that one.

- Travis Nunlist, Lead Game Designer

Interestingly, even in internal testing, the devs currently go without any mulligans at all:

Fun fact of the day: we don’t even mulligan in playtesting. You’re stuck with what you get. Skill issue etc.

- Travis Nunlist, Lead Game Designer

While this is clearly tongue-in-cheek, it reflects the game’s emphasis on adapting to unpredictable hands and maintaining a fast pace of play.

Tournament Towers and MetaZoo’s Future Format Dreams

Toward the end of the chat, popular MetaZoo content creator, MetaZoo Menace floated a playful idea: a Mortal Kombat-style “tower system” where players at conventions battle through MetaZoo staff until facing Travis (or the best of the best) as the final boss. Charlie was fully on board with the spirit of the idea:

I think that the concept of a tournament of champions fits really well into the MetaZoo universe and experience. The idea of selecting your cryptids, creatively working them against your talents and each other’s abilities, and then competing with stakes is awesome.

- Charlie Hurlocker

That said, Charlie was clear that these more theatrical or high-concept tournament formats are a Stage 2 goal. For now, the focus is on strengthening the foundation:

Definitely a stage 2 thought after organic, grassroots OP has the support that it needs to start moving.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Stay tuned to MetaZoo News for more MetaZoo Monday coverage and all the latest headlines in the wild world of MetaZoo!