Event Duel (Master Duel)

See also: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel events

Event Duel, also known as Festival, is a gameplay mode in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel.

These limited-time events spice up the general gameplay by introducing new Deckbuilding rules, encouraging players to experiment and explore. The events award the player with additional rewards like extra Gems or special cosmetics, earned by playing the event or by completing special Missions. Daily Missions can still be completed while playing Event Duels unless they specify otherwise.

The Event banlists, in addition to restricting players to build along the theme, also ban cards that go against the spirit of the festival, like self-burn cards, floodgates, or key cards of archetypes that would be unpleasant to face. Most Festivals also come with three Loaner Decks for the player to choose from, should they lack the resources to build a Deck that adheres to the Deckbuilding rules.

Xyz Festival

First run: 17 — 24 Feb 2022

Second run: 20 — 27 Feb 2023

The Xyz Festival prohibits use of all Extra Deck monsters except for Xyz Monsters.

The first run features a choice between a Cipher, Phantom Knights and Raidraptor Loaner Deck.

The second run features a choice between a Heroic Challenger, Springans and Shark Loaner Deck.

N and R Rarity Festival

23 Mar — 4 Apr 2022

The N/R Festival restricts players to using only N and R cards. It features a choice between an Armed Dragon, Warrior, and Paleozoic Deck.

Synchro Festival

First run: 12 — 22 Apr 2022

Second run: 19 — 29 Jun 2023

The Synchro Festival prohibits use of all Extra Deck monsters except for Synchro Monsters.

Loaners from the first iteration features archetypes from the Beyond Speed Selection Pack, offering a choice between a Speedroid, Fleur, and Synchron Deck.

The second iteration offers a choice between a Ghoti, Red Dragon Archfiend, and Icejade Deck.

Fusion Festival

12 — 23 May 2022

The Fusion Festival prohibits use of all Extra Deck monsters except for Fusion Monsters. Loaner Decks feature archetypes from the Refined Blade and Fusion Potential Selection Packs, offering a choice between a Destiny HERO, Fluffal, and Predaplant Deck.

Limit One Festival

16 — 27 Jun 2022

The Limit One Festival restricts players to single copies of each unique card they're running, provided the card isn't already Forbidden by the event banlist. It features a choice between a Rokket, The Agent, and Reptilianne Deck.

Extra Zero Festival

19 — 28 Jul 2022

The Extra Zero Festival prohibits use of any Extra Deck card! Pendulum Monsters are still permitted, though. Loaner Decks feature archetypes from the Wandering Travelers Selection Pack, offering a choice between an Adventurer, Floowandereeze, and Machina Deck.

Duelist Cup

Season 1: 9 — 21 Aug 2022

Season 2: 8 — 19 Dec 2022

Season 3: 15 — 26 Mar 2023

Season 4: 17 — 30 Oct 2023

The most competitive event of Master Duel. No Deckbuilding restrictions are given, and no Loaners are available. Bring out your best!

The event is split into two stages. Stage 1 is where all Duelists begin, and have to climb to DLv (Duelist Level) 20 to advance to the next stage. Duelists at higher ranks in the preceding Ranked season will start at higher DLv and will automatically receive the rewards from DLv that they've skipped.

Stage 2 is accessible to all players who have achieved DLv 20, and becomes available in the last few days of the event. Winning duels will earn DP (Dueling Points), and losing will decrease it. All rewards in Stage 2 are cosmetic. Aim for the prestige of a high rank!

Synchro x Xyz Festival

20 — 30 Sep 2022

The Synchro x Xyz Festival prohibits use of all Extra Deck monsters except for Synchro and Xyz Monsters. It features a choice between a Pendulum Magician, Ghostrick, and Swordsoul Loaner Deck.

Link Regulation

13 — 27 Oct 2022

The Link Regulation event prohibits use of all Extra Deck monsters except for Link Monsters. Unlike the other Events, it has its own ladder system akin to one used in Ranked Mode, including penalties for losing in the higher rank brackets. No Loaner Decks are provided.

Anti-Spell Festival

17 — 29 Nov 2022

The Anti-Spell Festival prohibits use of all Spell Cards. It features a choice between a Pendulum Dragon, Dinomorphia, and Performage Loaner Deck.

Theme Chronicle

17 — 30 Jan 2023

17 — 29 Jan 2024

The Theme Chronicle event restricts players to archetypes that are featured in Solo Mode by rendering most higher-power or more popular archetypes unplayable through its banlist. Its first iteration features a choice between a Beetrooper, World Legacy/Orcust, and Danger!/Plunder Patroll Loaner Deck, and it coincided with the Recollection of Stories Selection Pack.

The second iteration features a choice between a Krawler, Vendread, and Dinomist Loaner.

Legend Anthology

16 — 25 Feb 2023

The Legend Anthology is held in celebration of the game's first anniversary, and coincides with the New Step for Duelists Selection Pack. It has a unique banlist that restricts players to archetypes that were played by characters in the anime. It features a choice between a Blue-Eyes, Red-Eyes, and a Three Musketeers of Face Cards Loaner Deck, representative of the three protagonists of Duel Monsters.

Attribute 4

17 — 23 Apr 2023

The Attribute 4 Event prohibits use of LIGHT or DARK monsters, though effects that Summon LIGHT or DARK Tokens are still usable. It features a choice between a Vernusylph, Infernoid, and Charmer Loaner Deck.

WCS 2023 Qualifiers

Stage 1: 16 — 29 May 2023

Qualifiers: 26 — 29 May 2023

A special version of the Duelist Cup for the World Championship Series. The DLv. mechanics are the same as Duelist Cup, but Stage 2 has been replaced with the Regional Qualifiers. The top players of each region in the Qualifiers by the end of the event will be invited to the World Championship Series 2023 Finals in Japan!

Legend Anthology: Academy

13 — 26 Jun 2023

Legend Anthology: Academy is the second iteration of Legend Anthology and has a custom banlist to restrict players towards archetypes used by characters in the GX anime. It features a choice between a Neos/Armed Dragon, Sacred Beast/Yubel, and Dinosaur/Cyber Dragon Loaner Deck.

Monster Type Festival

Fairy/Fiend: 19 — 31 Jul 2023

King of the Island: 13 — 25 Sep 2023

Monster Type Festivals restrict players to building a Deck using only a few select Monster Types.

The Fairy/Fiend version offers a choice between a Cyber Angel, Labrynth and Fluffal Loaner Deck.

The "King of the Island" iteration gives a choice between Beasts, Beast-Warriors, Winged Beasts, Reptiles, and Insects. It offers a choice between a Fire King, Beetrooper and Ogdoadic Loaner Deck.

Versus Event: DARK vs LIGHT

17 — 29 Aug 2023

Players pick between one of two teams: DARK or LIGHT, and have to build a Deck while being restricted to their chosen Attribute. They will then Duel members of the opposing team, though they may rarely be matched against other players in the same team in case of a lack of suitable opponents. Players can switch between both teams freely. Versus Points will be awarded to the team for each victory, and the player gains a special Title for accumulating personal Versus Points for a single team.

DARK players can choose between an Inzektor, Rokket/Time Thief, or Orcust/Ally of Justice Loaner. LIGHT players can choose between a Bujin, PSY-Frame, or Starry Knight Loaner.

Ritual Festival

13 — 24 Nov 2023

The Ritual Festival has a banlist designed to promote the use of Ritual Monsters. Among other things, all Extra Deck monsters are banned, except for cards that support Ritual Monsters. It features a choice between a Blue-Eyes, Libromancer, or Nouvelles Loaner Deck.

Legend Anthology: Acceleration

13 — 26 Feb 2024

Legend Anthology: Acceleration is the third iteration of Legend Anthology and has a custom banlist to restrict players towards archetypes used by characters in the 5D's anime or earlier. It features a choice between a Harpie, HERO, or T.G. Loaner Deck.

Synchro x Link Festival

19 — 29 Feb 2024

The Synchro x Link Festival prohibits use of all Extra Deck monsters except for Synchro and Link Monsters. It features a choice between an Infernoble Knight, Dragunity and The Agent Loaner Deck.

Duel Triangle

18 — 30 Apr 2024

Players pick between a faction: Fusion, Xyz, or Synchro, and must build a Deck with the Extra Deck restricted to their chosen faction. They will then Duel members of the other factions, though they may rarely be matched against other players in the same team in case of a lack of suitable opponents. Players can switch between each faction freely. Versus Points will be awarded to the fation for each victory, and the player gains a special Title for accumulating personal Versus Points for a single faction.

Xyz players get a choice between Battlin' Boxer, Tistina, or Evol Loaners. Fusion players get a choice between Dual Avatar, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, or Dark World Loaners. Synchro players get a choice between Red Dragon Archfiend, Fabled, or Ursarctic Loaners.

Tryout Duel

The Tryout Duels are a series of short-lived events, and the third win in the event earns the player one free Selection Pack (the latest one available during the event). No other rewards are given.

Rental Competition

Players are restricted to choosing between one of three Loaner Decks; custom Decks are forbidden.

1 — 5 Mar 2023

The first Rental Duel offers a choice between an Elemental HERO, Synchron, or Utopia Loaner Deck. All of these Loaners have single copies of their cards.

9 — 12 Mar 2023

The second Rental Duel features cards from the "Strong Will" Selection Pack, offering a choice between a Crystal Beast, Gem-Knight, and G Golem Loaner Deck.

30 Mar — 2 Apr 2023

The third Rental Duel features Victory conditions, offering a choice between an Exodia, Destiny Board, and Ogdoadic (with Vennominaga) Loaner Deck.

9 Jun — 12 Jun 2023

The fourth Rental Duel features cards from the "Climax of the Showdown" Selection Pack, offering a choice between a Dogmatika, Springans, and Abyss Actor Loaner Deck.

11 Aug — 14 Aug 2023

The fifth Rental Duel features cards from the "Rage of Chaos" Selection Pack, offering a choice between a Chaos, Vaylantz and Dracoslayer Loaner Deck.

1 Sep — 5 Sep 2023

The sixth Rental Duel features cards from the "Inherited Unity" Selection Pack, offering a choice between a Red-Eyes, Obelisk/Blue-Eyes, and Black Luster Soldier (archetype)/Chaos Loaner Deck.

5 — 9 Jan 2024

The seventh Rental Duel offers a choice between Loaners with monsters that are purely Dragon-Type — Dragonmaid, Hieratic, and Rokket/Borrel.

Double Deck

2 — 5 Jun 2023

Players are prompted to build two Decks — one for going first, the other for going second. The Deck they are given is decided at the coin toss.

Build-a-Deck

30 Jun — 3 Jul 2023

The Decks that players take to this event contain Loaner cards which are part of the Deck and cannot be removed.

The Loaner cards in the first iteration all involve chance-based cards.

Build-a-Deck 1

Main Deck Monster Cards Time Wizard x2 Dice Jar x2 Thunder Ball x3 Snipe Hunter x3 Arcana Force XIV - Temperance x2 Orgoth the Relentless x3 Spell Cards Cup of Ace x2 Summon Dice x3 Dimension Dice x3 Dice Dungeon x3 Dicephoon Trap Cards The Paths of Destiny Fairy Box Head Judging Extra Deck Xyz Monsters Number 85: Crazy Box x3 Musical Sumo Dice Games x3 Number 7: Lucky Straight x3 Link Monsters Masterking Archfiend x3

Extreme Duel

Players are challenged to perform under unusual circumstances not related to deck building.

22 — 26 Dec 2023

Extreme Duel 1 sets the turn timer to 30 seconds.

29 Dec 2023 — 2 Jan 2024

To celebrate the new year, Extreme Duel 2 sets both players' starting LP to 2024. Unlike other Tryout Duels, the first victory offers 20 Gems, the second 24 Gems, and the third one Legacy Pack (guaranteed Glossy SR).

4 — 8 Apr 2024

Extreme Duel 3 manifests a copy of "Nibiru, the Primal Being" into each player's hand on the very first turn after they draw their opening hand.

26 — 30 Apr 2024

Extreme Duel 4 starts both players with a copy of "Skill Drain" active.

TCG Regulation

30 Jan — 2 Feb 2024

Players adhere to the January 2024 TCG Lists (excluding cards not yet available in Master Duel) for this event. The Loaners offer a choice between a "Kozmo", "Valkyrie", or "Gold Pride" Deck.

Special Regulations: Time Travel 2004

1 — 5 Mar 2024

Players are restricted to cards available in the OCG prior to 25 November 2004 (before Flaming Eternity). The banlist also reflects the OCG September 2004 list (excluding cards not available in Master Duel). The Extra Monster Zones are unavailable, and the player going first gets to draw on their very first Draw Phase. The Loaners offer a choice between a "Gadget", generic Fusion, and "Horus the Black Flame Dragon" Deck.