Yu-Gi-Oh adds new monster type that can't be defeated

One of the new Illusion Type monsters from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist Nexus
(Image credit: Konami)

A brand-new monster type has been added to the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game (TCG), and it looks like it'll be a real headache to fight against.

Dubbed 'Illusion' monsters, these cards stand out due to the fact that they "cannot be struck down in battle." While this sounds like a particularly overpowered addition to the Yu-Gi-Oh TCG, there's a catch; according to the press release, these cards "can’t defeat other monsters in battle either." Instead, they'll harm monsters "in other ways… Take for example Nightmare Magician, an Illusion monster that gives you control of any other monster it battles. It can also destroy any other card on the field if another monster attacks."

Illusion monsters will be arriving in the new booster set, Duelist Nexus, on July 28. 

An example of two Illusion Type monster cards from Yu-Gi-Oh Duelist Nexus

(Image credit: Konami)

It's been quite a while since the Yu-Gi-Oh TCG added a new monster Type; since 2017 and the Cyberse monsters of Starter Deck: Link Strike, in fact. It's not the only addition either. Quarter Century Secret Rares are being thrown into core boosters for the first time with this release, and they've been designed to represent 25 years of what for some is one of the best card games.

Want to grab Duelist Nexus for a little less? You can currently pick up the booster box for less via Amazon, Prodigy Games (the cheapest we've seen it, and generally reviews for the site are good), or TCG Player. As for the UK, it's available via Zatu at a discounted price.


It's a big week for TCGs - Disney's new card game, Lorcana, just launched. You can see if it's worth trying in our Disney Lorcana first impressions. As for the set you should try, check out our guide on which Disney Lorcana Starter Deck you should get.

CATEGORIES
Benjamin Abbott
Tabletop & Merch Editor

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and now manage GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news.

Read more
Artwork for the Mew ex card introduced in Pokemon TCG Pocket's Mythical Island expansion.
Move over, Mewtwo – Pokemon TCG Pocket is getting new cards next week in a fresh expansion, with a powerful Mew card that looks like it's going to dominate battles
A group image of a number of MTG Aetherdrift teams
MTG Aetherdrift's biggest departure from fantasy isn't its hot rods or its controversial set symbol, it's in the introduction of this one creature type
Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island promo images
Everything revealed about the Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island expansion
An armored mammoth with a howdah carrying lizards charges through a jungle setting
Exclusive MTG Aetherdrift card reveal adds… high-speed mammoths?
Dragonite Variant card in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Pokemon TCG Pocket players are furious at the new trading system: "They should probably remove 'Trading Card Game' from the title screen"
Emet-Selch, Unsundered and Summon:Shiva from MTG Final Fantasy
Latest MTG Final Fantasy spoilers reveal first-ever Saga creature, Emet-Selch, and retro PSX art
Latest in Games
Link and Epona
A Zelda movie is finally happening, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto used to adamantly oppose the idea even "if Steven Spielberg himself" wanted to do it
Stardew Valley
With another "thank you," Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone brings an update arc to a close with "the Switch patch to fix the last Switch patch"
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is as divisive as expected: some players hate the "relentless on rails handholding," others love the build-up to "the best scene in Monster Hunter history"
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds art director and 20-year series vet says the new game intentionally leans into a question fans have debated forever: "What is a hunter?"
Absolum
The other devs behind the best retro beat-em-up in recent memory are making a co-op roguelike brawler that "channels the spirit" of Capcom's classic D&D games
Battlefield Bad Company 2
"I am freaked out by how much might actually have been accurate": Battlefield Bad Company 3 writer unearths forgotten script
Latest in News
Link and Epona
A Zelda movie is finally happening, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto used to adamantly oppose the idea even "if Steven Spielberg himself" wanted to do it
Robert Downey Jr announces his Doctor Doom casting at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
"He is so dialed in": Robert Downey Jr. is coming up with backstory and costume ideas for Doctor Doom ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
Stardew Valley
With another "thank you," Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone brings an update arc to a close with "the Switch patch to fix the last Switch patch"
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Over 80 countries and 42 days: the first Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie's remarkable staggered release plans have been revealed – including a US date
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is as divisive as expected: some players hate the "relentless on rails handholding," others love the build-up to "the best scene in Monster Hunter history"
The Last of Us season 2 first look
Pedro Pascal says "beautiful" scene that made him want to join The Last of Us got cut, but it’ll thankfully appear in season 2: "He was like, ‘That’s half the reason I’m here!’"