"Some people like motorcycles, others like sports. For us, it's Yu-Gi-Oh!" exclaimed Alex on the morning of Saturday, August 30. He and his partner Lucie came to the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris for the Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship, taking place from August 29 to 31. Both work in supermarkets near Toulouse and took time off for the occasion. He, 29, is a passionate collector, while she, 27, loves the game's strategic side.

"We're here to watch the matches! We're huge fans, and it's the first time the World Championship is being held in France, so we're making the most of it," explained the young woman with pink hair and a blue suit, a nod to the Tour Guide from the Underworld, a character from the collectible card game. Originally a fictional game played by the heroes of the manga series of the same name, created by Kazuki Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh was transformed into a real card game developed and launched by Konami in Japan in 1999 and introduced in France in 2002.

A few steps away, Antoine from Lille was eagerly waiting for the doors to open. "For me, the nostalgia factor doesn't matter much," the 26-year-old software engineer said. "It's the competitive aspect that interests me, and the World Championship is the best of the best." The elimination rounds were not open to the public that day, and only a few duels were broadcast live. The main stage featured teams competing in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, the digital version of the game. Those playing with physical cards will face off during the tournament finals on Sunday.

You have 70.65% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.