News: VGE-BT03, VGE-EB03 and VGE-BT07 Announced for International Release

This morning Bushiroad announced the international release of VGE-BT03: Demonic Lord Invasion, Cardfight!! Vanguard's third booster set overall and the fifth booster set to be released in English-speaking territories. Featuring the proper introduction of the major figure clans Dark Irregulars and Pale Moon, as well as Oracle Think Tank's powerful Tsukuyomi series, Demonic Lord Invasion has been the subject of much controversy and debate in the English-speaking world, where its perceived upstaging by limit break-focused sets and main character clans was subject to fan outrage. Being one of three main booster sets initially speculated to never receive an international release, the news comes as a welcome reprieve to fans in English-speaking territories. Demonic Lord Invasion is set for a release in Singapore on August 4, 2012 and an international release of August 11, 2012.

Immediately on its heels is VGE-BT07: Rampage of the Beast King, a core booster set intended to complement the Great Nature units BT02 by expanding them into a full clan with the powerful Locks series cards and limit break units. BT07's full contents is still not known, as it has yet to be released in the Japanese game, but will feature units primarily used by Team SIT Genius and members of Team Foo Fighter AL4, Narumi Asaka and Shinjou Tetsu. Rampage of the Beast King is being slated for a fall release.

Likewise due for a fall release is VGE-EB02: Banquet of Divas, the second extra booster set and sixth booster set overall. Being solely dedicated to the Bermuda Triangle clan used by Sendou Emi, and carrying a lower overall card count than main sets, Banquet of Divas by far offers the easiest to complete clan out of any in Cardfight's history.

It is currently under speculation that as with past English booster sets BT06 and EB03, the chief reason for this rapid release schedule is to expand the sets' card count by including promo cards in them, thereby increasing card availability in the English game. How this will affect Banquet of Divas' single-clan take is currently unknown.

Update: Bushiroad has confirmed on their blog that BT03 contains 2 more R-rarity cards than the Japanese release.

News: Bushiroad Cuts Ties with Crunchyroll, Appears at Anime Expo 2012, VGE-BT03/04 Release

Bushiroad has recently issued a statement on their official blog that the negotiations with Crunchyroll over the second season of Cardfight!! Vanguard, Asia Circuit Hen, are at an end. The producers of the anime are currently looking into alternative options to releasing season 2 to the English-speaking world; with the recent addition of Cardfight!! Vanguard's English dub to their YouTube page, digital distribution via streaming websites appears to remain the favored method. Due to its advertisement in web banners, it is possible that the dub is being used as a testbed for distribution model based in YouTube.

In other news, Bushiroad will be hosting a booth at Anime Expo 2012, with the renowned artists Foo Midori and Adachi Yousuke attending. These are just two of the mastermind artists behind Cardfight, with Adachi having illustrated a wide range of famous Royal Paladin cards like Wingal Brave, Durangal and Epona, as well as the Narukami's entire Djinn series. Foo Midori is the illustrator of CoCo, Commodore Blueblood, Player of the Holy Bow Viviane, Flame of Hope Aermo and many others. Also in attendance will be Misaki and Suiko's respective voice actors, Kitta Izumi and Terakawa Aimi. Those present at the event will be able to buy booster packs, and get a free DVD preview of Cardfight!! Vanguard, as well as the first English chapter of the manga. An art gallery will be hosted as well.

In a reply on the official Cardfight!! Vanguard facebook page, Bushiroad suggested the possibility of a surprise announcement concerning VGE-BT03 and VGE-BT04, "Demonic Lord Invasion," and "Eclipse of Illusionary Shadows." When asked about an English release of these sets, Bushiroad stated that there may be an announcement with "dark tidings." This has set off speculation that these two sets will see an English release in the near future--the "dark" being taken as a reference to Blaster Dark of BT04, and the Dark Zone nations that BT03 supports.