Chaos erupts as Disney Lorcana lines create unsafe conditions at Gen Con

The Launch of Disney Lorcana at this year’s Gen Con convention in Indianapolis was marred by chaos, as long lines and poor crowd management led to alleged unsafe conditions for attendees on the first day of the event. Social media users have reported verbal and physical confrontations between fans. The second, the third, and the fourth days were more peaceful, but both Gen Con, as well as publisher Ravensburger, could have done better from the beginning.

Launch of the formal launch Disney LorcanaA trading card game similar to Magic the Gathering The following are some examples of how to get started: Pokémon Trading Card Game, isn’t until Aug. 18, when it arrives in retail stores and with online vendors. But a special pre-sale, including starter decks and other accessories, was promised beginning Aug. 3 at this year’s Gen Con. In the end, thousands attended with long queues that stretched around the Indiana Convention Center. The first day was a tense one at the ICC, with both Ravensburger staff and Gen Con employees manning doors utterly unprepared.

Charlie Hall Photo for Polygon

Gen Con’s entry process is relatively relaxed compared with other gaming conventions. There are usually no queues, no bags checks and just a few convention staff members and Gen Con volunteers to tell people not run. The fans gather together in one big group a few minutes before the gate opens, then they disperse to the vendors hall for their shopping.

It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Disney Lorcana Polygon fans spoke to They arrived earlier on the first Gen Con day than the rest of attendees. Perhaps they were driven by the hype surrounding the game, which mines Disney’s back catalog of animated classics for characters, items, and even songs to power the competitive collectible card game. They may have been worried that an upcoming lawsuit filed by Upper Deck could stop the release of this game. But speculators have also taken note of the game’s potential, driving the price of components sky high on eBay and other similar marketplaces. Several were in attendance at this year’s Gen Con: One scalper Polygon spoke to later on in the week bragged they flipped two sets of starter cards for $500 each.

Fans tried to organize themselves in the morning hours of August 3. Polygon was able to speak with a group of fans who showed up early in the morning with chairs, breakfast and snack items. They wanted to ensure that they had product for day one. The group and others formed an unofficial queue in the early morning before Gen Con attendees arrived. Ravensburger confirmed the line on that day. stating on Twitter less than 30 minutes before gates opened that it was “working with Gen Con staff to improve the current line situation.”

Security did not honor the line created by fans when Gen Con opened its gates. It was instead broken into pieces. The mix-up put Ravensburger’s most dedicated fans at a sudden disadvantage, with many having to get back into a new line with hours of waiting still ahead of them. That’s when the alleged pushing and verbal confrontations occurred. Even one attendee reported a wheelchair was overturned in the crush.

The following day, Gen Con and Ravensburger released a joint press release to all attendees.

Things ran much better throughout the remainder of the convention. Gen Con team members and Ravensburger staff monitored the lines, which were also permanently marked with attendee IDs to stop fans making multiple purchases. Ravensburger has announced accommodations for those with disabilitiesEven donuts were available, as well as coffee and other refreshments, starting on the morning of August 4. But it still doesn’t make up for that poorly run first morning.

“Gen Con have been excellent partners and we greatly appreciate their efforts in working with us to find a line management solution,” Ravensburger told Polygon in a written statement issued Monday morning. “They worked quickly with us and the Indiana Convention Center to figure out a solution that worked incredibly well throughout the rest of the weekend. We have not started conversations with Gen Con about 2024 but we will do everything we can from both sides to ensure attendees at next year’s convention have a great experience.”

Polygon reached out Gen Con to get their take on the incident. If we hear back, this article will be updated.