MetaZoo began with a small Kickstarter campaign about American cryptids and grew into a trading card brand with multiple expansions, celebrity involvement, and a Sanrio crossover. The original company closed in January 2024, but the name returned with a redesigned game in 2025.
For collectors, that history explains why MetaZoo cards can look very different from one release to another. Here is how the game started, how its original sets developed, and what changed when it returned.
What is MetaZoo?
The original MetaZoo trading card game brought creatures from folklore and cryptozoology into a shared world. Bigfoot, Mothman, the Flatwoods Monster, and other local legends appeared as creatures called Beasties. Players took the role of Casters, using a deck called a Spellbook.
One of its distinctive ideas was that the world outside the cards could affect the game. These “fourth-wall” effects made real surroundings relevant to play: weather, nearby objects, and other conditions could influence particular cards. That connection between a creature’s folklore and a player’s environment helped give the original game its identity. [2]
2020: Michael Waddell launches MetaZoo on Kickstarter
Creator Michael Waddell launched the Kickstarter campaign for MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation on July 30, 2020. It ran through August 30 and raised $18,249 from 255 backers, exceeding its $10,000 goal. [1]
Those numbers are a useful reminder of the game’s modest beginnings. MetaZoo started as an independently crowdfunded project, with a relatively small group of supporters backing a card game centered on cryptids.
The Kickstarter release also became an important distinction for collectors. Kickstarter cards and the later general-release First Edition belong to different printings; “the first MetaZoo set” does not identify a particular printing on its own.
2021: Cryptid Nation reaches a wider audience
The general-release Cryptid Nation First Edition arrived in July 2021. Later that year, Nightfall followed as the second core set, expanding the original game’s lineup. [3]
Interest in MetaZoo was already growing before that wider release. In May 2021, hobby publication ICv2 reported strong secondary-market demand for early products and a partnership with CFB Group to sell to local game stores. This was a period when collecting, speculation, and the game’s unusual theme all formed part of its public story. [2]
In July, DJ and producer Steve Aoki joined MetaZoo Games as a full equity partner and cofounder, with a role in marketing and corporate partnerships. The company also named Game Kastle founder Shaw Mead as its chief operating officer. [4]
MetaZoo’s expansion beyond its playable cards was visible in products such as Topps MetaZoo Cryptid Nation Series 0, a separate collector-card release featuring Beasties and imagery from the MetaZoo world. [5]
2022: Wilderness, UFO, and Seance expand the original game
Three core releases gave collectors distinct parts of the MetaZoo world to explore during 2022.
- Wilderness — March 31, 2022. This expansion took the game into forests and landscapes associated with creatures such as Bigfoot and the Cumberland Dragon. See our MetaZoo Wilderness set list for the numbered cards and printing images. [6]
- UFO — July 29, 2022. The next expansion focused on extraterrestrial lore, sightings, and alien-themed Beasties. Our MetaZoo UFO set list lets you browse the cards and compare their available printings. [7]
- Seance — October 21, 2022. The fifth core set continued the original game’s expansion into supernatural themes. Browse our MetaZoo Seance set list for its numbered checklist and printing options. [8]
For someone organizing an original-era collection, these set names provide a starting point. The edition and printing matter too: a card’s name alone may not distinguish the version you own. Our checklists separate Full Holo, Reverse Holo, and Non-Holo images where those printing options are represented.
2023: Native and Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival
The original release schedule continued in 2023. Native was announced for an April release, introducing another expansion to the Cryptid Nation game. [9]
Another release brought MetaZoo together with a very different cast of characters: Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival. The officially licensed Sanrio crossover paired MetaZoo cryptids with Kuromi, My Melody, and Hello Kitty in a carnival setting. [10]
If that collaboration is your introduction to the brand, our Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival set list provides a visual reference for its 103 numbered cards and secret rare.
January 2024: The original MetaZoo Games shuts down
On January 29, 2024, MetaZoo Games announced its closure. ICv2 reported the announcement the following day, including founder Michael Waddell’s statement about logistical difficulties, product gridlocks, and economic conditions. The company’s social media presence and Discord also went offline. [11]
That announcement marks the end of the original company’s run. It is important to distinguish the documented closure from speculation about its causes: the public statement and contemporary reporting establish what was announced, but do not provide a complete account of the company’s internal finances.
2025: MetaZoo returns with a redesigned game
MetaZoo returned under GameQbator Labs with a new Base Set in 2025. Contemporary reporting identified Rick Arons at the head of the company, Richard Garfield as lead game designer, and Skaff Elias as lead game developer. The new Base Set was announced for retail release on March 28, 2025, with more than 200 cards and new artwork. [12]
This relaunch should be treated as a separate chapter when researching cards. The 2025 Base Set is distinct from the original Cryptid Nation releases, even though both use the MetaZoo name and draw on cryptids. Collectors should identify the set and era before comparing card versions.
2026: MetaTwo takes on the publishing role
On June 26, 2026, MetaTwo Enterprises and GameQbator Labs announced a publishing transition. MetaTwo would assume the publishing role for MetaZoo TCG, while GameQbator Labs would continue in a consulting and advisory capacity. The announcement described a progressive transfer of publishing responsibilities, including distribution to retail partners. [13]
That transition is another reason to keep the original company, the relaunched game, and the brand’s publishing history distinct when reading older articles or product listings.
Exploring the original MetaZoo sets
For collectors drawn to the original cards, the sets offer different ways into the same world: Wilderness emphasizes its forest cryptids, UFO explores extraterrestrial legends, Seance turns toward the supernatural, and Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival introduces the Sanrio collaboration.
Start with our set-list directory to browse the available checklists, identify card numbers, and compare printing images.
Sources and further reading
Historical overview researched October 22, 2026. The release milestones below are drawn from the original crowdfunding record, contemporary hobby reporting, and official announcements.
- Original MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation Kickstarter campaign.
- ICv2: New TCG “MetaZoo” — May 14, 2021.
- MetaZoo Wiki: Cryptid Nation; Nightfall.
- ICv2: Steve Aoki becomes a full equity partner — July 30, 2021.
- Topps: 2021 MetaZoo Cryptid Nation Series 0.
- ICv2: MetaZoo heads into the Wilderness — February 15, 2022.
- ICv2: UFO First Edition announcement — June 1, 2022.
- ICv2: Seance announcement — September 16, 2022.
- ICv2: Native announcement — January 24, 2023.
- ICv2: Hello Kitty crossover announcement — September 14, 2023.
- ICv2: MetaZoo Games closure — January 30, 2024.
- ICv2: MetaZoo TCG relaunch — February 20, 2025.
- MetaZoo: MetaTwo and GameQbator Labs publishing announcement — June 26, 2026.