A South Korean team has emerged victorious in the Master Duel category of the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship, the ultimate tournament where duelists battle with top decks to determine the world's strongest player.

On August 30, the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2026 (WCS 2026) was held at the Tokyo Garden Theater in Ariake, Japan. Uniting every Yu-Gi-Oh! title under one roof, this World Championship featured competitions for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, and two Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links formats (Speed Duel and Rush Duel).

Among these, the Master Duel division was contested in a 3v3 team format featuring a five-round round-robin stage followed by the semifinals. Matches were played in a best-of-nine format where the first team to claim five individual victories took the match. South Korean team 'Called By Army'—composed of Kim "Sana" Min-seong, Kim "Subaduck" Ji-seok, and Lee "CuteSnail" Hyun-soo—claimed the overall championship.

The journey for 'Called By Army' was far from smooth. After suffering two losses in the group stage, they overcame the disadvantage by stringing together consecutive victories to advance to the knockout stage. In the semifinals, they defeated team 'Ruination'—who advanced from the Europe & Others region—to setup a showdown against Japan in the grand final. Their final opponents were team 'Glory Future,' led by Tasuku Kobanawa, a prominent Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel pro player and content creator.

Facing the heavy tournament favorites representing Japan, the South Korean team fought valiantly to reach match point first, ultimately defeating their opponents with a final score of 5-3 to claim the first-ever WCS Master Duel championship for South Korea.