Ravensburger has sent a letter to local game stores advising them not to sell Disney Lorcana products online. The game will be released to small retailers on August 18 before a wide release on September 1.

Ravensburger Disney Lorcana Letter

IGN contributor Alex Hodges shared a screenshot of the letter on Twitter, which places emphasis on “brick & mortar” partners refraining from e-commerce. It reads:

Dear Disney Lorcana Partner,

We believe that the role of the local game store in organizing a play space and interacting with fans is the most important determining factor in our audience’s experience with the Disney Lorcana trading card game. That is why in-store experiences like events and organized play are at the heart of every allocation decision made for the hobby trade.

With that in mind, we strongly encourage all authorized brick & mortar hobby trade partners to refrain from using their own (or third-party) e-commerce platforms as a method of sales for sealed product from August 18th until the wide release on September 1st.

The two-week first-to-market window for local game stores is offered to ensure local players can procure the game through in-store activations and sales. We understand that the local community is the cornerstone of our mutual success, and this head start gives you the opportunity to build it.

Your commitment to creating a vibrant Disney Lorcana TCG community through in-store sales and activations will play a significant role in shaping our allocation decisions for future releases and will remain in place for each first-to-market window offered. Thank you for your ongoing support and for being a vital part of our efforts.

Team Disney Lorcana

Many have expressed frustration with the letter and an already small amount of stock allocated to local stores. Though Ravensburger is just “encouraging” stores not to sell online, they reserve the right to not work with a store anymore if it does something the game company doesn’t like. It seems Ravensburger is reserving most of their product for bigger chains, such as Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.

Reserving product does mean the game may ultimately be able to reach more consumers, and per Ravensburger’s letter, not selling online encourages gamers to attend more community events. It also means single customers can’t buy out all of a store’s stock, preventing others from getting it.

But the restriction also means consumers can’t support stores that aren’t local to them and can’t get the game early if they don’t have a local store, since they are unable to order online and have products shipped.

What do you think of Ravensburger’s advisement about Lorcana sales? Let us know in the comments.

Read more recent Disney Lorcana developments:

• What Is Disney’s Newest Game, Disney Lorcana, and Why Should I Care?
• Full List of Disney Lorcana Cards Revealed with App Launch
• Complete Rundown of Disney Lorcana Starter Decks Released
• Official Disney Lorcana ‘How to Play’ Videos Released

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.