Disney's own-brand trading card game Lorcana has proven to be quite popular among card enthusiasts - aside from being just a decent game

it can't even be played online — at least not officially. Since Disney has not yet released the official digital version of Lorcana, anyone who wants to spin the tcg will have to buy a physical card pack. Enter Pixelborn, a free, fan-made digital version of the game that debuted on Information Highway last year.

The client created by Pavel Kolev features ranked ladders, matchmaking, and fully animated battles. In addition, Disney — completely as expected — asked Kolev to stop, so it will not be available much longer. Support for Pixelborn will end before 6/16.

"A Disney representative contacted me earlier this month," Kolev said on his client's official Discord server (thanks, Wargamer), stating the conditions under which Disney would take advantage of the legal weight. "I have always said that I respect such requests, and I plan to keep my word and not grasp professionally...The Pixelborn Discord server will remain a safe and cozy place to discuss all Lorcana.

Nevertheless, Kolev adds that his "heart is shattered to pieces." I've put everything into this project for the past year and a half. Every night, weekend, holiday. I know it meant a lot to many people as the only way to experience the game that we all love."

The Pixelborn Discord server may share information about paid prize pools and tournaments hosted by the Lorcana Play Network (and may also use Pixelborn as the format). 

On the other hand, Kolev claims to his Patreon that the money donated beyond what was needed to maintain the server went to charity and to his credit was fairly transparent about posting such costs — readily available breakdowns. The page itself also shows thousands of donations to charities such as Make-A-Wish, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders.

I'm of a complex mind, my own—Kolev clearly has a deep love of the game and the nature of TCGs confirms that Lorcana will always be locked behind both financial costs and physical availability of stocks and will be limited accessibility to some people. Especially given that TCG had some major problems getting the card in hand at its release.

On the other hand, this is Disney — a lawsuit mega-company with the infamous deathgrip on its intellectual property. The quality of Kolev's work should be admired, do not misunderstand, but you pour your heart into what is essentially a doomed project Companies sometimes play the ball in the city ala fan project of heroes, but it is typical in what is disappearing anyway. Sometimes, good things simply cannot last for a crummy, but expected, reason.