Disney Lorcana begins 2026 with a fraught storyline in the upcoming Winterspell set, and Polygon has learned more details about the trading card game’s packed schedule for the rest of 2026 — and it’s leaning heavily on Pixar franchises to introduce new Disney characters into the trading card game.
During a preview press conference earlier this month, the Lorcana team revealed new cards and details associated with its two major upcoming sets, Winterspell and Wilds Unknown, along with new products, promo programs, and a long-term story arc that will culminate later this year in Attack of the Vine. The announcements included new mechanics, major Disney and Pixar debuts, and the game’s first-ever pre-release packs.
Winterspell launches Feb. 13 with an icy new threat
Winterspell officially enters prerelease on Feb. 13, with a full release following on Feb. 20. International Product Manager Naomi Kim said that the set continues a storyline first teased in Whispers in the Well, which involves a mysterious vine draining magic from the realm of Lorcana. Meanwhile, there’s an “eternal winter” spreading throughout the land. Who better to sort out this mystery than Elsa from Frozen?
Elsa plays a pivotal role in Winterspell’s story as she attempts to halt the spreading threat, and some of the revealed cards tell that story, specifically Elsa, Concerned Sister and Freeze the Vine. As the vines spread in Lorcana, a concerned Elsa tries to literally “Freeze the Vine,” so we also wind up getting a location card called The Frozen Vine. That inciting event triggers the set’s titular Winterspell — a phenomenon that seems similar to how Elsa froze Arendell in the first Frozen.
Other new card reveals include Elsa, Ice Artisan, a Floodborn legendary that rewards location play and exerts weaker characters. There’s also a song action card called The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway.
The set also introduces notable characters from across Disney animation like Moana, Pocahontas, Lilo & Stitch, Beauty and the Beast, and Gargoyles. The Moana, Curious Explorer card debuts a subtle but important rule shift for the game at large, shifting “inking” language to reflect how players already talk about the game — a change that becomes standard starting in set 11.
“Inking is the new term for the turn action of taking an inkable card, usually from your hand,” explained Lukas Litzsinger. “But Moana’s ability allows you to then instead take it from your discard.”
Winterspell will also introduce a number of Lilo & Stitch characters to the game for the first time. Other highlights include a version of Beast from Beauty and the Beast as a buy-a-box promo. There’s also Timon, Snowball Swiper and Gramma Tala, Connected to Nature as prerelease promos. For weekly play promos, there’s White Rabbit, Late Again and Elisa Maza, Transformed Gargoyle. The set’s championship tournaments will include variants of Tinker Bell, Snowflake Collector with a foil treatment for the top 8.
At Disney World in Orlando, Fla., the Epcot International Festival of the Arts kicked off Jan. 16 and runs through Feb. 23. For the duration, there will be an ongoing collection quest with exclusive Magical Places promo cards. Participants will be given a booster pack and need to collect four specific cards, so they work together and trade with others to complete the quest and earn a special promo card.
Releasing soon after that, on March 13, is a new Scrooge McDuck gift box and a Stitch Collection Starter Set.
Wilds Unknown arrives in May
Lorcana’s next expansion, Wilds Unknown, begins prerelease on May 8, with a full release on May 15. The set leans into exploration and survival themes, with Toy Story’s Woody and Buzz Lightyear starring in the key art. Wilds Unknown also marks several product firsts for the game: There will be tailor-made prerelease packs that include six boosters, dice, a promo card, and event materials that allow for sealed deck competitions or three rounds of pack rush. Wilds Unknown also has the game’s first two-player starter set designed for immediate head-to-head play straight out of the box.
The set marks a slight pivot for Lorcana as the game at large begins to lean more into Pixar franchises, starting with The Incredibles.
Attack of the Vine in Q3 and Coco in Q4
Looking further ahead, the Lorcana team confirmed that the vine storyline will escalate in Attack of the Vine, launching sometime in Q3 2026. The set brings together characters from Monsters, Inc. and Turning Red. After the events of Winterspell, the vine has “taken over.” According to the developers, Attack of the Vine represents the narrative payoff to seeds planted across multiple sets, beginning with Whispers in the Well and continuing through Winterspell and Wilds Unknown.
Toward the end of the year, Coco will make its Lorcana debut in some form, but we’ll have to wait for more concrete details in the months ahead.
