UPDATE: According to other representatives, they also received the email telling them that EB01 is not allowed but got a message that EB01 will be allowed only the night before. Sadly, PH representatives didn’t receive any message about this rule change.

The world of competitive card gaming is no stranger to controversies, and the recent Asia Finals of the One Piece Card Game has found itself embroiled in controversy.

The source of the controversy revolves around an official email sent to the Philippine representatives, Rizaldy Belarmino and Sherwin Aquino, notifying them that EB01 cards would not be allowed in the tournament. However, during round 1 of the tournament, an opponent from another country used T-Bone, an EB-01 card, as a counter, prompting the PH representatives to call out the card.

Surprisingly, despite the official communication, the tournament’s head judge decided that EB01 was legal. The judge, however, let the PH reps edit their decks to add EB01 cards, but only after round 1, and they cannot change their leaders.