A Look at Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025

The Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025 took place from August 29–31 in Paris, France, featuring multiple categories such as TCG/OCG, Duel Links, Speed Duel & Rush Duel, and Master Duel.

For the TCG/OCG division, 27 duelists competed (after one disqualification). The format included two days of Swiss rounds followed by a Top 8 single-elimination bracket, creating some truly intense matches.

Most Popular Decks in the Tournament

According to YGOPRODeck data, three archetypes clearly dominated the field:

• Vanquish Soul: 9 decks

• Yummy: 7 decks

• Maliss: 5 decks

Other picks included Lunalight (2 decks), Crystron (1 deck), Sky Striker (1 deck), and White Forest (1 deck) — showing that variety still played a role.

Top 4 and Final Standings

The final results of the TCG/OCG bracket were as follows:

• Champion: Julien Kehon (Vanquish Soul)

• Runner-up: Tom Kleinegräber (Lunalight)

• Semifinalist: Willy Flores (Yummy)

• Semifinalist: Roselle Thorkildsen (Sky Striker)

While Vanquish Soul and Yummy were expected to perform well, the surprise came from Lunalight reaching the finals and Sky Striker breaking into the Top 4.

Deck Profiles & Meta Trends

Notable duelists included Thotsawat Wannako (Maliss @Ignister), Kobayashi Ryohei (Yummy), and of course Julien Kehon (K9 Vanquish Soul), who secured the championship. Meanwhile, archetypes like Fiendsmith Ryzeal Mitsurugi were popular in qualifiers, though not all variants were legal for Worlds.

Overall, the 2025 meta was clearly shaped by Vanquish Soul, Yummy, and Maliss. Yet, with Lunalight’s surprise run and Sky Striker’s semifinal showing, the tournament proved once again that the Yu-Gi-Oh! competitive scene is always full of unexpected twists.