The New Yugioh “Gensys Format” — Everything You Need to Know
On (insert date), Yu-Gi-Oh! announced a brand-new, officially sanctioned tournament format called Gensys Format.
The gist? Every card ever printed is legal — yes, over 10,000 cards from the past 26 years of Yu-Gi-Oh history. However, there’s a twist: decks are limited by a 100-point cap. Most cards cost zero points, but the most powerful or historically broken cards are assigned a specific point value.
For example, Djinn Releaser of Rituals, which has been banned for years, costs 100 points — meaning you can run one copy in your deck, but it would use up your entire budget. Floodgates and other infamous power cards also carry high point values to keep the format balanced.
Konami has stated that the Gensys point list is fluid and open to change. They’ll actively monitor the meta and adjust point values as needed based on player feedback and tournament results.
More details on the current point list and rule tweaks can be found here: (insert link).
Here is the kicker..
While nearly every card is legal, Link and Pendulum monsters are banned from Gensys Format. That means your Extra Deck can only include Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz monsters.
Honestly, this decision didn’t surprise many players. I’ve heard plenty of duelists say they hate Pendulum monsters — and it sometimes feels like Konami does too, since Pendulums haven’t received much meaningful support in newer sets. Personally, I think some Pendulum decks have cool mechanics and flavor, and not all of them are game-breaking. But let’s be real — having a monster card with both spell and monster effects probably made a lot of players tap out from reading fatigue.
As for Link monsters… that’s another story. They’ve historically enabled some absurd combo lines with very few starter cards. Remember Crystron Halqifibrax? That card single-handedly broke entire strategies and led to countless degenerative boards. So yeah, keeping Links out makes sense if the goal is a more balanced, nostalgic, and creative format.
Why Gensys Format Feels Like a Breath of Fresh Air
Modern Yu-Gi-Oh has been rough for many players — myself included. Between the power creep, constant bans, and the price tag of top-tier decks (some easily costing over $1,000), it’s no wonder a lot of duelists have stepped away from competitive play.
The game’s cycle of “buy the new meta deck → it dominates → Konami bans key cards → repeat” has left a lot of players fatigued. Decks like Tearlaments, Kashira, and Manadome (Maliss?) have dominated only to crash hard when the banlist hits.
That’s why Gensys Format is such an exciting change. It’s a way to dust off your old favorite decks and spice them up with some of the most powerful cards in Yu-Gi-Oh history.
Want more draw power? Go ahead and play three copies of Pot of Greed — that’ll cost you 90 of your 100 points, leaving you 10 points to slot in another busted card or two. It’s nostalgic, flexible, and offers nearly infinite deckbuilding creativity.
Final thoughts
The Gensys Format feels like a love letter to long-time Yu-Gi-Oh fans — a chance to experiment, relive old metas, and enjoy the game without spending a fortune on the newest tier-zero deck.
If Konami supports it long-term and stays transparent with balance updates, this could easily become one of the most fun and replayable formats Yu-Gi-Oh has ever had.