Event
Garden Arena: Midwest Regional Player Guide
This Saturday, players from across the world will gather in Peoria for the second Garden Arena Regional.
Players will compete for $10,000 in cash prizing, exclusive stamped prize cards, Seasonal Points, and 16 invitations to Azuki Invitational II in Los Angeles.
If you are competing, read this before you leave home.
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Location: Peoria Civic Center, Upper Ballroom, 201 SW Jefferson Ave, Peoria, IL 61602
- Doors open: 9:00 AM CDT
- Tournament starts: 10:00 AM CDT
- Host: Top Cut Events
- Entry: $40, no refunds
Registration is online only and closes Friday, October 23 at 6:00 PM CDT. There is no on-site registration.
Questions about registration should be sent to info@topcutevents.com. Full event details are on the Top Cut Events page.
Before You Arrive
Submit Your Decklist
If you are registered for the event, decklists are required the night before.
You must submit your decklist on the Azuki TCG app by 8:00 PM CDT on Friday, October 23.
Decklists are used for check-in. If you do not submit a decklist, you forfeit your spot in the tournament.
Need help? Top Cut Events staff will be available online on Friday, October 23 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM CDT, and on-site on Saturday, October 24 from 9:00 to 9:45 AM CDT.
Your tournament deck must include exactly:
- 1 Leader
- 1 Gate
- 50 main-deck cards
- 10 IKZ and 1 IKZ token
Once the tournament begins, you may not change decks or swap cards.
You may not have any other cards in your deck box.
If you are deck checked and the deck you are playing with does not match your submitted decklist, you will receive a game loss.
Check Your RK9 Profile
Make sure your RK9 profile includes your legal name, birthdate, country, and Azuki TCG Member ID.
Your registration is tied to the named player and cannot be transferred.
Review your registration on RK9.
Review the Rules
Players are responsible for knowing the latest game rules, tournament rules, card errata, and banned-card updates.
All main-deck cards must use identical opaque sleeves.
Your Leader, Gate, and IKZ cards must be sleeved differently from your main deck.
We also recommend bringing extra sleeves and a fully charged phone for life tracking.
Check-In and Arrival
Doors open at 9:00 AM CDT.
Give yourself enough time to park, find the Upper Ballroom, complete check-in, and resolve any decklist issues before the tournament begins at 10:00 AM CDT.
Tournament Format
The Main Event will be Swiss best-of-1 until there is 1 undefeated player.
- Swiss matches: 30 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of extra time
A Top Cut with best-of-3 matches may be held, depending on player attendance and tournament duration.
Players who arrive at their table 5 minutes late automatically forfeit the match.
Both players are responsible for reporting results. If no result is reported, both players receive a game loss.
If a rule interaction or game-state issue is unclear, stop play and call a judge.
Judges are there to help. Please do not try to resolve a disputed ruling between yourselves.
What's on the Line
Entry Prizing
Each Main Event participant receives:
- 6 Gates Awakened booster packs
- 1 Regional Pack Wave 1
Exclusive Prize Cards
- Top 128: Regional Pack Wave 1
- Top 64: Stamped Foamback Crab alternate art
- Top 32: Stamped Scarlett alternate art
- Top 16: Stamped Miharu of the White Bloom alternate art
- Top 8: Serialized Raizan alternate art
All prize cards feature exclusive tournament stamps and textured foiling.
All Top 16 players will also qualify for Azuki Invitational II in Los Angeles in February 2027.
Invitations pass down when a player has already qualified.
$10,000 Cash Prize Pool
- 1st: $3,000
- 2nd–4th: $1,400 each
- 5th–8th: $700 each
Players will also earn Seasonal Points tracked through the Azuki TCG app.
Spectators
Spectators are allowed but must remain courteous and avoid disturbing players.
Spectators cannot interact with competitors during matches.
If you see cheating, you can quietly inform a judge, but you cannot talk to the competitors or alert judges about misplays.
You may be removed from the venue if you interfere with the tournament in any way.
Side Events
Side events will run throughout the day.
Please check with Top Cut Events on-site for details.
Watch From Home
Coverage will begin roughly 30 minutes before the tournament starts, at 9:30 AM CDT (7:30 AM PT), on the official Azuki TCG stream channels.
The broadcast team includes:
- Vampyr and Marredplytapus
Follow @AzukiTCG for pairings, results, deck coverage, player interviews, and updates throughout the day.
What Comes Next
The Garden Arena season continues:
- NorCal Regional: Saturday, December 5, Pittsburg, CA
- Florida Regional: Saturday, January 30, 2027, Kissimmee, FL
- Azuki Invitational II: February 2027, Los Angeles, CA
- Nationals: May 2027, Las Vegas, NV
Registration details for NorCal and Florida will be announced soon.
Come early, submit your decklist before check-in, and bring a tournament-ready deck.
We'll see you in Peoria.