For those who have played Genshin Impact over the last year, specifically the events revolving around the cast of Sumeru, you would likely have heard of Genius Invokation TCG. Initially just a narrative element, in December 2022 it was expanded to become a fully playable strategic card game, looking to combine Genshin Impact’s element-based combat system with strategic deck building and play. After six months of players being able to compete against NPCs and other players, and supported by the recent v3.7 update which introduced 60 new cards and two additional game modes, HoYoverse has confirmed their next big plan for the TCG Game.
HoYoverse will be debuting its first international Genius Invokation TCG Tournament series, titled Astra Carnival: The Prince Cup in the second half of 2023. The competition invites players from all corners of the world to participate in six regional championships together with numerous invitational tournaments, with a prize pool of over $270,000 USD.
Genshin Impact earlier this year sanctioned the Genshin Impact Tavern community to initiate the first season of the Cat’s Tail Gathering GITCG Tournament, a community tournament system hosted on Discord. The announcement of the “Astra Carnival: The Prince Cup” aims to elevate the TCG further, bringing together skilled players from various regions and creating a captivating experience for the community.

The Prince Cup will be split into two distinct segments: six regional tournaments occurring from June to September, and three cross-regional invitationals scheduled for June, August, and December.
In each regional competition, top contenders from the “Cat’s Tail Gathering” community tournaments and wildcard competitions will vie for the regional championship. Those progressing to the quarter-finals will compete on-site, with live broadcasts available on official AstraCarnival platforms including Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. Top regional and community tournament competitors may receive invitations to the invitationals, participating in exhibition games for the international audience.
Furthermore, HoYoverse is encouraging fans, gamers, and interested third parties to register their own non-official Genius Invokation TCG tournaments. Participants can avail support and guidance from HoYoverse in this venture. More information is available in the Genshin Impact Non-Official Tournament Collaboration Rules website.
The regional tournaments in Korea, Europe, and North America are set to start first, with wildcard competition sign-ups now open. For more detailed information regarding rules and registration, interested parties can visit the official tournament website.