The Flesh and Blood World Tour is the best TCG organised play circuit on the market! With $1,500,000 USD up for grabs in hundreds of events across the globe, we urge players to travel the world, make new friends, and play great games for huge cash prizes! Scott Mines breaks down what happened in May, and what's coming up in June...
As I begin writing this article, I’m blessed to find myself awaiting a flight at Taipei Songshan airport. We’ve just wrapped up an unforgettable debut for High Seas at the World Premiere and yet every spare seat in this place has a game of Flesh and Blood being played across it. The food is good. The company is better. Aren’t card games just the coolest thing?
Frankly, there’s a million and one thoughts running through my mind right now. How will these new heroes shape Classic Constructed moving forward? Is Scurv, Stowaway truly stupid AND sexy? Perhaps most importantly—where can I go to do this all again?!
Thankfully, there’s no layovers on the World Tour. With players racing to accumulate World Tour Points and the lion’s share of $1,500,000 USD still up for grabs, there’s simply no time to waste. Shall we take a closer look at what’s happening next?
What Happened in May?
May proved to be an exceptionally busy month for Flesh and Blood, with the aforementioned World Premiere surrounded by four Battle Hardened events across the globe. Closer to home, players were duking it out against the best in their region at local Pro Quest: Singapore events for coveted Gold Foils and Pro Tour qualifications—all while juggling with the fastest changing metagame we’ve ever seen!
Taipei has quickly become an event for the history books. There’s something poetic about watching top players wrap their minds around a previously unknown puzzle, and the commanding performance of players such as Yuki Lee Bender and Evan Tanguy will serve as the building blocks for any aspiring competitor looking for a deep run at their National Championship.
In Classic Constructed, things have been wild. As Pro Quest: Singapore season progressed, we saw the ascension of Enigma, Ledger of Ancestry, Zen, Tamer of Purpose, and Aurora, Shooting Star into Living Legend. Each time a former pillar of the format fell, underdogs of yesteryear rose to take their place. Florian, Rotwood Harbinger may have been the biggest beneficiary at the beginning, but Andrew Rothermel’s Kassai of the Golden Sand and Eugene C’s Rhinar, Reckless Rampage serve as a stark reminder that nothing is ever truly solved.
Of course, all of that is to say nothing of the most recent Banned and Restricted Announcement. On May 19, Count Your Blessings, Germinate and Scepter of Pain earned their place in timeout while infamous face-kicker Bonds of Ancestry (Red) made a triumphant return to Classic Constructed. It’s safe to safe that the controversial life gain tool had outstayed its welcome in the eyes of many, while newfound graveyard interaction and the absence of Zen, Tamer of Ancestry should help right the ship when it comes to Bonds.
With High Seas looking to reshape the landscape once again heading into the National Championship season, I cannot wait to see where we end up.
World Tour Leaderboard
The Flesh and Blood Player of the Year title may be the most hotly contested accolade in all TCGs right now. There’s a whopping $100,000 prize pool to be shared amongst top-placing competitors from each region as the 2025 World Championship concludes. Only one person will earn the right to be immortalized as the first ever Player of the Year and take home a cool $25,000, while each regional champion locks up $15,000 for the trouble—so who are these champions likely to be?
| Rank | Country | Name | World Tour Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US | Brodie Spurlock (78449312) | 81 |
| 2 | US | Michael Hamilton (34331578) | 58 |
| 3 | GB | Jacob Clements (42541471) | 57 |
| 4 | SE | Jacob Trossing (95288145) | 38 |
| 4 | ES | Pablo Pintor (12374294) | 38 |
| 4 | NL | Paul van Gijssel (82996881) | 38 |
| 7 | GB | Alex Chițu (52582252) | 37 |
| 8 | US | Michael Feng (51553785) | 35 |
| 8 | AU | Nick Butcher (51987736) | 35 |
| 10 | HK | Pudding Tam (31914943) | 34 |
| 11 | US | Christopher Iaali (49429466) | 33 |
| 11 | AT | Florin-Cristian Loghin (94458185) | 33 |
| 11 | ES | Max Dieckmann (62329447) | 33 |
| 14 | CA | Shawn Dhaliwal (69775991) | 31 |
| 15 | DK | Simon Nielsen (25334147) | 29 |
On the European board, newfound end boss Jacob Clements still sits atop the throne, but he's not looking quite as comfortable as he was previously. A masterclass from Pablo Pintor at Pro Tour: London has led to the Spanish superstar charging up the leaderboard and joining Jacob Trossing in second place, while Paul van Gijssel put on an impressive performance in Taipei to join the growing group. If that wasn’t enough, some of the biggest names in tabletop gaming aren’t far behind. Alex Chitu? Simon Nielsen? Andrea Mengucci?! Where do the superstars stop, exactly?!
Asia-Pacific still looks to be anyone’s race. Former Australian National Champion Nick Butcher currently leads the pack, with Blue Pitch's Pudding Tam feverishly chasing him down. Singaporean locals such as Chu Heng Eng have the pleasure of a Pro Tour on home turf in the near future, while Pro Tour: Amsterdam Champion Shoma Yamamura has proven himself capable of besting anyone on the biggest stage. Honestly? One breakout result could flip this entire leaderboard on its head and I’m totally here for it.
In the United States, Brodie Spurlock has managed to maintain his vice-like grip at the top of the table, but Michael Hamilton isn’t exactly famous for finishing second. These two juggernauts must fend off Pro Tour: Baltimore Champion Michael Feng, Canadian crusher Shawn Dhaliwal, and a never-ending slew of household names if they want to remain in their spot atop the mountain—and I have no doubt we’ll see these grudge matches play out in real time as the Player of the Year race continues. Maybe Christopher Iaali will get that long-awaited rematch after all?
Smash it all together and there’s quite the tale unfolding. It’s no surprise to see Flesh and Blood’s most infamous world travellers placing highly on the Global leaderboard, but Michael Hamilton and Jacob Clements are literally neck-and-neck. These players won’t need to contend with each other at their respective National Championships, but they will need a strong showing if they want to stay in the conversation.
Events in June
If you’re looking for opportunities to climb those leaderboards yourself or join the fight for the first time, the Flesh and Blood World Tour isn’t slowing down as it marches into June. Armory all-stars and decorated champions are about to converge across 47 different National Championships, while Bologna and Houston prepare for their own taste of high-level tournament play.
National Championships
There’s something different about a universal accolade. If you tell your family that you’ve become a Calling champion or a Pro Tour champion, they may not know what that entails if they’re not equally invested in Flesh and Blood—but a National Champion? That’s a title with existing connotations. You’re the best player in the entire country. There’s no misunderstanding that.
The festivities will kick off in Las Vegas with the biggest event of them all: The United States National Championship. This landmark event takes place from June 6-8, the same weekend as the official release of High Seas. Qualified players will wrestle with the intricacies of both an unexplored Classic Constructed format and a fresh new Booster Draft set as they try to stake their claim to the most contested crown of the season. If that doesn’t make for an unmissable show, I’m not sure what will. According to NASA, you should see it from space!
The remaining National Championship events will take place across three weeks of competition, with a variety of invite-only and open-entry events depending on the announced player cap.
Calling: Las Vegas
If you’re not qualified for the main event, don’t panic! United States Nationals features a dedicated Calling, Battle Hardened, and World Championship Qualifier, alongside a robust schedule of public events across the weekend. Calling: Las Vegas will feature High Seas Sealed Deck and Booster Draft while the Battle Hardened will focus on an all-new Classic Constructed format, making for a competitive weekend regardless of your preferred way to play. A whopping $30,000 in prize money? Don’t mind if I do.
Even better, you’ll be spending a weekend in Las Vegas. You know, the city with a reputation for larger-than-life-living and constant entertainment? Between the iconic Vegas strip and the scenic Red Rock Canyon, there’s not a whole lot of places I’d rather be after accidentally trainwrecking my draft.
Calling: Bologna
Flesh and Blood arrives at this historic city in Italy from June 13-15. Breathtaking churches, museums, and gardens will serve as an impressive backdrop for three straight days of tournament play featuring PTIs, Gold Foils, and a massive $20,000 USD in the prize pool.
High Seas releases just seven days before this event. Players will be feverishly devouring any and all data discovered during the United States National Championship to find even the smallest edge they can. Me? I’ll be feverishly devouring Tortellini while calling the action from the booth. I’d encourage you to do the same—that stuff is delicious.
Battle Hardened: Houston
June closes with a sweet little event in the most populous part of Texas. Battle Hardened: Houston will showcase the teachings of a whole season of National Championship events as some of the biggest names in the game try to break Classic Constructed for their share of $2,000 USD, a Gold Foil, and a pair of PTIs.
I’m a little envious of those who can attend, honestly. I hear that Houston has a vibrant theater district and a must-see zoo, both of which feature highly on my tourist spots when travelling. Can you imagine taking a trophy photo surrounded by Californian Sea Lions? Iconic.
