The fairy dust has settled, and a victor has arisen from Disney Lorcana‘s inaugural World Championship.

Ravensburger hosted the event at Walt Disney World from June 28-29, with 28 competitors invited to take part after qualifying through local events. Attendance was restricted to maintain “the best VIP experience [players] could possibly have,” but live streams on Twitch allowed more than 130,000 viewers at home to witness the historic event.

In the end, it was Dinh Khang Pham (“DKP”) from Germany who claimed the title of the world’s first Disney Lorcana World Champion, triumphing over Edmond Chiu in a 5-round contest. The format was a Triple Deck Challenge, demanding players to win three games each with a different deck, and although Chiu gained an early advantage, DKP managed to reverse the situation and clinch the third win with an Amethyst and Steel deck (specifically acquiring the last 2 lore he needed with Giant Cobra—Ghostly Serpent).

Beyond the historic honor of being Disney Lorcana’s first champion, DKP also received a trophy and a unique World Champion 2025 golden promo variant of Mickey Mouse—Brave Little Tailor. (As he noted on social media, this golden card pairs well with another extremely rare card he recently acquired: the most sought-after collector’s item from Magic: The Gathering—Final Fantasy, the serialized 1/77 Gold Chocobo variant of Traveling Chocobo.)

“It was absolutely exhilarating to witness DKP’s victory with so many Disney Lorcana TCG fans watching live on Twitch,” remarked Ravensburger’s Elaine Chase, Chief Marketing Officer for TCGs, Elaine Ch. “As a former competitive TCG player, it nourishes my soul to see so many contenders striving for the title of World Champion and the exclusive Golden Mickey Mouse Card.”

With this competitive season now in the annals of history, Ravensburger has started unveiling plans for the next season, with Challenge qualifiers scheduled in North America and Europe from now until next summer:

Europe:

– Challenge: Bologna Fiere, October 3-5 2025
– Challenge: Ghent Flanders Expo | March 6-8 2026
– Challenge: Dortmund | June 5-7 2026
– Championship: September 11-13 2026, Location TBD

North America:

– Challenge: Milwaukee, WI | October 24-26 2025
– Challenge: Richmond, VA | January 9-11 2026
– Challenge: Indianapolis, IN | June 19-21 2026
– Championship: August 28-30 2026, Location TBD

Additional regions will be added in the upcoming season, including events in Japan, China, and Australia. Ravensburger backs these qualifier events with rewards and promotional materials.

“We’re thrilled to support all types of Disney Lorcana TCG play moving forward,” stated Senior Tournament Manager, Steven Cooper. “That includes a variety of events that Ravensburger is backing that don’t fit into categories such as in-store play or Disney Lorcana Challenge. We aim to schedule more events like this globally in 2026 and beyond!”

A new chapter is set to begin for Disney Lorcana competitive or organized play. The arrival of the game’s forthcoming set, Fabled, in September will signal the game’s first-ever set rotation, with the first four sets “rotated out” of eligibility.

NVIDIA GeForce NOW is relentlessly broadening its cloud gaming portfolio, and on this GFN Thursday, the platform has introduced an additional 20 games, featuring the freshly launched “Little Nightmares III.” For those who may not know, GeForce NOW provides members with the opportunity to enjoy the latest games and content without having to wait for updates or patches. This is accomplished by integrating games into their cloud streaming platform, allowing members to play for a subscription fee, given they possess the game on a compatible platform. Users can tap into the capabilities of an advanced GeForce RTX GPU directly from the cloud without any installation or setup. GFN Thursday signifies the introduction of more titles to the service, and on July 3, 2025, NVIDIA GeForce NOW has incorporated 20 additional titles.

On this GFN Thursday, the newly launched “Little Nightmares III” and “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” are now available on the platform, letting players access them on the release day. With the service now compatible with Steam Deck, players can jump in without any installation on a handheld device. The July 3, 2025, lineup includes:

**GeForce NOW – July 2025 GFN Thursday Releases**

– *Little Nightmares II* (New release on Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
– *Figment* (New release on Epic Games Store)
– *Clicker Heroes* (Steam)
– *Fabledom* (Steam)
– *Rogue: Genesia* (Steam)
– *Schedule I* (released on Steam)
– *The Ascent* (New release on Xbox, PC Game Pass, July 8)
– *Every Day We Fight* (New release on Steam, July 10)
– *Mycopunk* (New release on Steam, July 10)
– *Brickadia* (New release on Steam, July 11)
– *HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×IMPACT* (New release on Steam, July 15)
– *Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition* (New release on Steam, July 15)
– *DREADZONE* (New release on Steam, July 17)
– *The Drifter* (New release on Steam, July 17)
– *He Is Coming* (New release on Steam, July 17)
– *Killing Floor 3* (New release on Steam, July 24)
– *RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business* (New release on Steam, July 17)
– *Wildgate* (New release on Steam, July 22)
– *Wuchang: Fallen Feathers* (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store)
– *Battle Brothers* (Steam)

For further details on NVIDIA GeForce NOW releases or to register, enthusiasts can check out the official [NVIDIA website](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/).

I entered *SPINE* at Summer Game Fest 2025 with elevated expectations. The neon-lit avenues of Tensor City appeared to promise a rich, vibrant environment, and developer Nekki offered a sneak peek into the gameplay as Redline—a graffiti artist-turned-revolutionary—in their forthcoming cyberpunk action game. I found myself captivated. After spending 20 minutes with this chic gun-fu fighter, I departed believing that Nekki has created something unique—a game that not only pays tribute to [John Wick](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/movie/john-wick-chapter-4-2023-review/)’s graceful violence but also transforms it into an interactive form of art.

*SPINE* allows players to take on the role of Redline, a red-haired creator whose existence is dramatically altered upon acquiring a sentient spinal implant. This isn’t just another cybernetic upgrade—the implant, simply known as Spine, serves as her combat ally in the battle against the oppressive Tensor AI regime that governs her city. The concept immediately brings to mind [The Matrix](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/movie/the-matrix-resurrections-review/) and Neo’s odyssey, yet Redline’s narrative feels thoroughly her own, grounded in street art culture and urban insurrection, with a visual style that evokes Hong Kong and other Asian metropolises.

The combat system stands as the game’s most significant draw, gracefully merging martial arts with firearms in what the creators refer to as gun-fu. It brought to mind what [viewers witnessed in *Equilibrium*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/) back in the early 2000s. Throughout the *SPINE* demo, guiding Redline as she sliced through waves of foes felt profoundly cinematic. She danced around adversaries with graceful agility, delivering powerful kicks and strikes before effortlessly moving into weapon-based finishes—and let me tell you, it’s spectacular. *SPINE* seems crafted to enable players to experiment and discover the full extent of its combat, rather than struggle with each fresh challenge, allowing them to star in their personal action film.

However, as you can discern by now, *SPINE* diverges slightly from the ordinary action game. Its distinguishing factor is its dedication to providing a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience. The third-person perspective sustains a letterboxed, film-like aesthetic throughout the majority of encounters, ensuring Redline’s electrifying combat style and eye-catching red attire remain prominent against the cyberpunk landscape.

### “Throughout the *SPINE* demo, guiding Redline as she sliced through waves of foes felt profoundly cinematic.”

Naturally, raw hand-to-hand combat represents only one facet of this gun-fu action title, and *SPINE* introduces an ample selection of options for dispatching adversaries. The weapon system injects tactical nuance without introducing overwhelming complexity. Redline begins every confrontation armed with a basic handgun and a can of spray paint—the latter utilized to temporarily blind oncoming foes. Scatterings of weapons throughout each level include shotguns and other firearms. Nonetheless, ammo depletes rapidly, compelling players to depend on melee techniques and environmental takedowns to advance. This scarcity generates tension and promotes inventive problem-solving, whether it involves hurling foes off rooftops or snatching their weapons mid-fight.

I was informed during my demo that the studio created its own animation engine, dubbed Cascadeur, which collaborates with Unreal Engine 5 to produce those fluid, film-quality takedown sequences. The outcome is combat that flows without clumsy interruptions or abrupt shifts. Finishing moves merge seamlessly into the action, crafting moments that genuinely encourage players to cheer. One particularly unforgettable scene exhibited Redline snatching a foe’s shotgun before instantly using it to execute a brutal finishing move—pure cinematic brilliance.

### “For action gaming enthusiasts who have longed for a genuine John Wick–style experience, SPINE seems set to fulfill that fantasy…”

While combat is a crucial element, it’s the game’s overall visual style that enhances the experience, embracing its cyberpunk backdrop without resorting to stale clichés. Neon graffiti accents add character to combat encounters, while Tensor City’s oppressive architecture forms the ideal setting for rebellion. The artistic direction underlines the game’s narrative themes, with Redline’s artistic roots influencing both the world design and her combat animations.

The boss fight that wrapped up the demo showcased *SPINE*’s challenge scaling. Battling an opponent with analogous cybernetic enhancements resulted in a notable difficulty spike, requiring heightened strategic thinking and precise timing. I’ll concede—I failed several times in my effort to defeat this other Spine user. Yet I appreciate how it all functions and how the developer structured the experience, helping the player feel empowered while daring to challenge their newly honed skills against formidable adversaries.

*SPINE* is set to release sometime in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.