# Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

> Konami reported over 25 billion cards sold after the game spread from Japan.

- Owner: Konami (card game); Kazuki Takahashi / Studio Dice / Shueisha (underlying work)
- Kind: Game
- Sector: Toys & collectibles
- Seed date: 1999-02-04
- Milestone date: 2011-06-16
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 48 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Variable reward, Scarcity drop, Platform jump, Controversy, Dupe economy

## Summary

Konami launched the Japanese card game in 1999. US TV exposure and promotional mailings preceded the English release. Konami reported over 25 billion cards sold in 2011, a cumulative sales milestone. Licensing and tournaments continued.

## Timeline

- 1996 — Kazuki Takahashi / Weekly Shonen Jump (Retail) — Takahashi's Yu-Gi-Oh! manga began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump.
- 1999-02-04 — Konami (Retail) — Konami began selling the Official Card Game in Japan, starting with Vol.1.
- 1999-09-24 — Los Angeles Times (Press) — The Los Angeles Times reported card demand and police intervention at Tokyo Dome.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/yu-gi-oh-trading-card-game

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.” Case HIS-01410. Spread Score v1.2: 48/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01410