From its three-location San Diego Comic-Con debut to a star-studded New York Comic Con anniversary celebration, KAYOU is giving collectors plenty of reasons to join the fandom.
Trading cards have always been a part of fandom culture, but KAYOU is taking collecting beyond the traditional pack-opening experience. With interactive activations, celebrity signings, exclusive collectibles, and opportunities for fans to connect, the rapidly expanding trading card company is making its presence known on the U.S. convention circuit.
I had the opportunity to discover KAYOU firsthand during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 in July. While I unfortunately couldn’t attend New York Comic Con this October, KAYOU’s continued momentum made it worth revisiting both events and sharing what collectors may have missed.
San Diego Comic-Con 2026: Three Locations, One Epic Experience
Making its SDCC debut July 23–26, KAYOU delivered an ambitious four-day celebration across three locations: the Interactive Zone at Petco Park, the San Diego Convention Center, and Tito Rick’s Garage.
Rather than limiting its presence to a traditional convention booth, KAYOU created multiple destinations where collectors could explore their favorite fandoms, discover new releases, trade cards, and participate in interactive experiences.
Among the highlights were appearances by Simone Legno, co-founder and artist of tokidoki, and Andrea Libman, the voice behind My Little Pony favorites Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Both participated in special card signings, offering fans opportunities to meet the talent behind their favorite characters.
The KAYOU x TAG collaboration brought professional card grading directly to the event through the TAG GO trailer. Fans could also turn themselves into collectible trading cards through a custom photo experience inspired by Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters and My Little Pony.
Another creative addition was the KAYOU Superfan Passport, which encouraged attendees to explore all three locations, collect stamps, and unlock exclusive rewards.
The KAYOU Walls of Fandom showcased artwork and collectibles from properties including KPop Demon Hunters, My Little Pony, NARUTO, and tokidoki.
And, of course, there were cards. Lots of cards.
Collectors received early access to several products, including KPop Demon Hunters mini collectible cards and accessories, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle cards, and other releases.
KAYOU also previewed its upcoming Winx Club collection and Hari&Hacci, an artist-led designer toy collection scheduled for 2027.
Between fan meetups, card pack battles, cosplay gatherings, and opportunities to learn the My Little Pony Trading Card Game, KAYOU demonstrated that collecting can be just as much about community as the cards themselves.
New York Comic Con 2026: Celebrating One Year in the U.S.
Fast-forward to October 8–11, when KAYOU returned to New York Comic Con at the Javits Center to celebrate the first anniversary of its U.S. debut.
And from the looks of things, collectors had plenty to celebrate!
One of NYCC’s biggest highlights involved Arden Cho, the speaking voice of Rumi in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters.
Cho didn’t simply show up to sign cards and greet fans. She jumped into the collecting action herself, trading KAYOU cards with attendees to help complete her own collection.
For a fandom already obsessed with HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys, seeing Rumi’s voice actor participate in the hobby was a particularly fun crossover between the talent and the fan community.
Returning guest Simone Legno signed tokidoki collectibles, while My Little Pony comic illustrator Andy Price created original Pony sketches for lucky attendees.
A My Little Pony Dream Comes True
One of the event’s most heartwarming moments came during KAYOU and Hasbro’s “Chase the Magic” panel.
David Abdelmaseih, winner of KAYOU’s inaugural Chase the Magic campaign, received a special surprise from Andy Price: finished artwork featuring Bannanie Bloom, the one-of-a-kind Pony character they had created together.
It was a memorable example of what happens when collecting becomes something more personal, allowing a fan to contribute creatively to a beloved franchise.
Exclusive Cards, Sold-Out Releases, and More Fan Experiences
KAYOU’s NYCC celebration wasn’t short on collectible exclusives.
Early releases of My Little Pony Friendship Eternal – Moon Edition 4 and the new Winx Club collectible cards sold out ahead of their broader retail launches.
Another sellout was the KAYOU × BOOM! × My Little Pony NYCC Exclusive Cover Card, marking the company’s first oversized collectible card offered for purchase.
Beyond shopping, attendees could participate in My Little Pony TCG demonstrations, challenge KAYOU’s community manager in card pack battles, and explore the latest collections at Booth #1143.
Fans also had opportunities to get “Winxified” with fairy-inspired makeup and wings, pose inside a larger-than-life Zara Larsson × Winx Club promotional card, and photograph themselves beside a nearly 12-foot-tall Tech Deck Wreck Deck truck displayed within a giant KAYOU card frame.
To commemorate its anniversary, KAYOU even featured a towering collectible-card-themed birthday cake and an Anniversary Card Wall where fans could leave messages celebrating their favorite fandoms.
What’s Next for KAYOU?
Both conventions offered a look at just how quickly KAYOU’s lineup is expanding.
At NYCC, the company previewed several upcoming releases:
- KPop Demon Hunters: Additional collectible cards and accessories, with another mini-card series planned for 2027.
- My Little Pony: New collectible card editions and seasonal TCG boosters, including the upcoming Hearth’s Warming Eve release.
- Winx Club: Collectible cards and mini trading cards bringing the popular fairy franchise into KAYOU’s growing lineup.
- Monster Jam: Trading cards and collectibles featuring the high-energy world of monster trucks, expected later this fall.
What began with properties such as My Little Pony, NARUTO, and tokidoki has quickly expanded to include Demon Slayer, KPop Demon Hunters, Winx Club, and more.
More Than Just Trading Cards
As someone who enjoys collectibles and discovering new fandom merchandise at conventions, what caught my attention about KAYOU was its approach to making collecting an experience.
There’s something special about opening a pack and discovering a favorite character or pulling a rare card. But KAYOU is also creating opportunities to meet artists, interact with fellow collectors, and engage with the stories behind the cards.
My introduction at San Diego Comic-Con was just one part of a much larger experience, and although I missed the festivities at New York Comic Con, it’s encouraging to see how much the brand has continued to grow.
With more releases, collaborations, and convention experiences on the horizon, KAYOU is giving both longtime trading card enthusiasts and newcomers something to get excited about.
And for collectors like me, the question remains: What’s in the next pack?
For more information on upcoming releases and events, visit KAYOU’s official website and follow @kayouus on Instagram.
About KAYOU
KAYOU is China’s No. 1 trading card company, the world’s No. 3 trading card company and one of China’s leading pan-entertainment product companies. Selected as part of the Global Unicorn Index 2025 published by Hurun Wealth, KAYOU works with a portfolio of nearly 100 licensed IPs across anime, entertainment and pop culture, while also building artist-led IPs through OYYO, an artist brand under KAYOU. By combining scale, speed, industry-leading manufacturing craftsmanship, design innovation, artist and designer resources and supply chain capabilities, KAYOU creates next-level collectible experiences that connect fans with the stories, characters and communities they love. For more information, visit kayouofficial.com and follow @kayouus on Instagram and @kayou_us on TikTok.
About Hasbro
Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With over 164 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches over 500 million kids, families and fans around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more.
Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONOPOLY, HASBRO GAMES, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.
For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, a 2025 JUST Capital Industry Leader, one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50, and a Brand that Matters by Fast Company. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or @Hasbro on LinkedIn. Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With 165 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches more than 1 billion fans annually around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more.
Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Monopoly, Hasbro Games, Nerf, Transformers, Play-Doh and Peppa Pig, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.
For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, a 2026 JUST Capital Industry Leader, a Brand that Matters by Fast Company, and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50 for fourteen consecutive years. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or follow Hasbro on LinkedIn.
Event information and images courtesy of KAYOU.
