Central America has produced some of the world’s greatest Duelists.  Last year at the World Championship, 2015 Central American Champion and former World Champion Galileo Mauricio De Obaldia Soza came within inches of capturing his second World Championship title.  Today in Guadalajara, 571 Main Event Duelists and 19 Dragon Duelists are looking to follow in his footsteps, vying for the title of 2016 Central American Champion and Dragon Duel Champion and a shot at their respective World Championship titles.

Kozmos, Monarchs, Phantom Knights, and Pendulums all made strong showings at the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series in Providence, and those Decks lead the competition heading into the weekend.  Meanwhile a handful of smaller strategies are positioned to beat those Decks, as themes like Qliphorts, Yosenju, and Heroes all leverage the powerful Card of Demise.  With four big Decks-to-beat in different flavors, Card of Demise offers enough draw power to establish deadly Continuous Traps like Rivalry of Warlords and Macro Cosmos.  In the right hands, we could easily see an underdog strategy win this weekend.

All competitors in the Central American WCQ earn an exclusive WCQ 2016 game mat and sleeves to commemorate their success in the 2015-2016 season.  From there, a strong showing in the Swiss Rounds will win them a coveted Top Cut game mat, and a shot at further riches.  Everyone in the Top 16 scores a copy of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series Prize Card Minerva, the Exalted Lightsworn.  Duelists who finish their run in the Top 16 will walk away with a box worth of booster packs.  Make it to the Top 8 and they trade up to complete sets of Breakers of Shadow and Shining Victories, while Top 4 add complete sets of Clash of Rebellions and Dimension of Chaos to their loot.

Everybody who makes the Top 8 will be awarded a trophy hailing their achievement, and the runner-up finisher in the Finals wins booster packs and an iPad Air.  The grandest prizes are of course reserved for the winner: the victorious Duelist will win booster packs and complete sets; a 64 GB iPad; not one, but two copies of Minerva; and travel and accommodations to the 2016 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship in Orlando, Florida to represent Central America.

They’ll also win the title of 2016 Central American Champion.

Meanwhile in the Dragon Duel WCQ, Duelists born in 2003 or later will duke it out for similar prizes: exclusive Dragon Duel WCQ game mats; prize cards; iPads; complete sets; and travel and accommodations to Orlando, where this weekend’s winning Dragon Duelist will compete in the Dragon Duel World Championships.

Hundreds of Duelists from numerous countries will go head-to-head this weekend, crowning two Central American Champions.  Welcome to the first tournament of the 2016 WCQ season, and welcome to Guadalajara – host to the 2016 Central American World Championship Qualifier!