OP on the Horizon! Prize Packs, Tournament Kits & Rules Near Completion

Casters turning in to the September 1st MetaZoo Monday chat recieved some of the most concrete updates yet on Organized Play (OP). With prize packs entering production, tournament kits moving into solicitation, and official rules nearing finalization, the long-anticipated competitive framework for MetaZoo is rapidly taking shape

Rules Nearly Finalized

Charlie confirmed that significant progress has been made behind the scenes.

I believe that we have locked in 90% (all the hard bits) of what the official tournament recommended rules are going to be,

- Charlie Hurlocker

He added that more play sessions are planned with groups of sixteen players to further refine the system, but confidence is high that the foundation is ready.

Prize Packs in Production

On the product side, prize packs are now in the production cycle. Charlie described this as a major milestone, explaining that these packs will serve as a functional “mini set” that rewards players without creating barriers to entry.

The prize packs start in OP. Any additional uses would still be intended to benefit play. This sort of falls into my ‘never say never’ rule, but they’re made to support play, especially OP. The artworks are unique and there are unique treatments as well. The functionalities will not be unique because as a game, we don’t believe in functional exclusivity locked behind expensive paywalls.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Tournament Kits Arrive

In addition to prize packs, tournament kits are beginning to reach stores in select markets. Charlie framed the initial wave as an accessible entry point rather than a polished final product.

Yes, this is actually already soliciting in some markets. The initial tournament kit is primarily a repack that provides super strong value to OP stores to just try to break through with some more of them. It’s less of a mass-focused product. But we have a LOT of ideas in the tournament kit space that does a lot of different things, so I wouldn’t overthink any particular aspect of the early iterations that you might see in the next nine months.

- Charlie Hurlocker

The Scale of Organized Play

Charlie also emphasized the scale of the work involved in Organized Play.

OP has 10x as many moving pieces as a normal release, so it’s been a matter of getting that going in a meaningful way while also keeping production normal on standard sets. I would expect significant news on OP in the next 2 months. That’s a guess and things move, but just to give you an idea of where my head is at.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Looking Ahead

For players eager to compete officially, the picture is becoming clearer. Prize packs, tournament kits, and finalized rules are no longer distant promises—they are in the pipeline. As the final pieces fall into place, the stage is being set for the launch of MetaZoo’s Organized Play ecosystem, which could redefine how communities engage with the game at local tables and large-scale tournaments alike.