Hello everyone! This is Elena from Gaia Storm TCG and welcome to another article here at CCG. Today, we are not going to be looking at one of the typical deck profiles. I’ve been struggling a lot trying to find the best topic for this final piece of the year and it has not been easy as there were many possibilities. But after some time, I feel what we’ve lived this year is something so relevant that is was worth thinking about it. As such, I really wanted to close 2020 with a reflection of what happened, the lessons we have learned and what the future holds.

Even if we are almost at the end of it, I still have the feeling that 2020 has been… unreal. Without even understanding what was happening, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a dystopian science-fiction movie that put the entire world in a freeze. Lockdowns started happening in different parts of the globe –here in Europe, the situation hit hard–, cities became empty and every type of traffic stopped. The pandemic affected all of us at different levels: financial, psychological, psychically… and we know it will still take some time till we return to our “new normal”. 

Card games were also impacted of course. Pokémon, as many other companies, cancelled all physical events until the situation got under control including the highly anticipated London’s Worlds 2020. But it does not mean everything was over. First, because the Pokémon community found ways to continue exploring the game in PTCGO and since the pandemic started, multiple sanctioned events –Players Cup I & II- had been celebrated in the online platform. In addition to that, there are weekly (non-official) tournaments happening all the time which has been crucial in keeping the competitive spirit alive as well as the creativity.

And another reason, apart from the competitive angle, is the fact that Pokémon is still a very entertaining hobby. And that, in the middle of a pandemic, is good way out for spending the hours at home. For example, I’ve been employing these past months rediscovering old decks and formats (I had a ton of fun with my old Darkrai Sableye from 2012), putting some much welcome order to my binders and practicing sequencing at home.

I wanted to take to opportunity and thank you, reader, for being with me through this entire year and of course, thanks to CCG Castle for providing this fantastic communication channel. Don’t forget that this is the time to be kind to each other, be responsible with your actions and take care of your loved ones. It is true that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel but we need to keep being cautious especially during this Christmas time. And, lastly, if you need it or you are having a difficult time ask for help. There is always people ready to give you a hand. Thanks for reading!