JAF Develops Car-Themed Trading Card Game DRIVE CARD GAME
JAF, a membership organization with about 20 million members as of end of March 2026, is leveraging the growing domestic card game market, which reached 319.7 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, as a new entry point to connect car culture to the next generation.
Key Facts
- JAF announced the start of development of DRIVE CARD GAME on September 2, 2026.
- DRIVE CARD GAME is scheduled for release in early summer 2027.
- Next Play Inc., the developer of ONE PIECE CARD GAME, handles rule design and adjustment of card effects and stats for DRIVE CARD GAME.
- Profits from DRIVE CARD GAME are planned to be used for social contribution activities, including disaster support by the JAF Road Service Special Support Team.
- JAF had approximately 20 million members as of the end of March 2026.
Reporting from 5 sources: ASCII.jp, Denfaminicogamer, KAI-YOU, Inside, and 1 more.
The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) announced on September 2 that it has begun development of DRIVE CARD GAME, a trading card game themed around automobiles, with release planned for early summer 2027. The game is being developed with the cooperation of various automobile manufacturers, crossing manufacturer boundaries to convey the appeal of cars to a wide range of generations, including younger people, and to create new car fans. Players will collect and battle with cards that reflect the characteristics of various cars, learning about them through play. Rule design and adjustment of card effects and stats are handled by Next Play Inc., the developer behind ONE PIECE CARD GAME; its representative, Ryo Shinomoto, confirmed cooperation on his own X account. JAF plans to use profits from the game for social contribution activities, such as disaster support by the JAF Road Service Special Support Team. Game rules, card information, and sales methods will be announced later on the official website and official X account. The game name and logo mark are currently pending trademark registration.
- JAF chairman Masayoshi Sakaguchi announced the project on the official website, and the JAF official X account posted about it on September 2, drawing a large number of joy-filled replies.
- Sakaguchi described the game as a gateway for people to become familiar with cars through play, noting that trading card games combine collecting with battling and appeal to many generations.
- Next Play Inc., the studio behind ONE PIECE CARD GAME, handles rule design and adjustment of card effects and stats, and its representative, Ryo Shinomoto, confirmed the cooperation on his own X account.
- JAF is leveraging its network as an automobile user organization and its expertise as the governing body for four-wheel motorsports to work with manufacturers across company boundaries.
- The names of participating manufacturers, specific car models, and the game system have not been disclosed yet.
- The domestic card game market reached 319.7 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, up 11.7% year-on-year, according to the Bandai Namco Group Integrated Report 2025.
- Inside, one outlet covering the announcement, framed the project as a surprise entry into the TCG scene and stressed that it is a game that can be played properly, not just collected.
- Game rules, detailed card information, sales methods, and the official DRIVE CARD GAME website are planned to be announced later.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- ASCII.jp あこがれの名車がトレカに？ JAFが実車ベースの本格TCG開発へ
- Denfaminicogamer JAF公式の“クルマ”カードゲーム『DRIVE CARD GAME』発表。幅広い世代に“クルマ”の魅力を伝えるため、メーカーの垣根を越えたトレーディングカードゲームとして2027年初夏にリリース予定
- KAI-YOU JAF、自動車のトレーディングカードゲームを開発 『ONE PIECE CARD GAME』開発会社が協力
- Inside JAFがまさかのTCG参戦！ルール設計は「ONE PIECE カードゲーム」の開発元、得た利益は災害支援など社会貢献事業に活用へ
- GameBusiness.jp JAFが“クルマのTCG”開発へ―『DRIVE CARD GAME』2027年初夏リリース予定