Random House Children’s Books is launching a publishing program in the U.S. and Canada based on the classic manga, anime, and gaming property Yu-Gi-Oh!, under license from Konami Cross Media NY. The first three titles, with a pub date of January 6, 2026, include Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Official Sticker Book and Yu-Gi-Oh!: Official Coloring Book, both for ages 7 and up, and Yu-Gi-Oh!: TV Tie-in Pictureback, for ages 5–7. One of Konami’s goals for the deal was to expand its reach to Gen Alpha fans under age 15.

Yu-Gi-Oh! entered the U.S. market in 2001, after being introduced in Japan as a manga series in Shonen Jump in 1996 and launching its trading card game there in 1999. Since its U.S. debut, it has built up a library of more than 1,000 anime episodes across eight series and counting, with the latest being Yu-Gi-Yo! Go Rush!! on Disney XD.

“Yu-Gi-Oh!’s been in the U.S. almost 25 years and is still going strong,” said Dennis Shealy, an editorial director at Random House Children’s Books. “It’s not a flash in the pan, but something where we can build a relationship with the licensor. And anime, manga, and video games of all types are hot right now, so the timing seemed right.”

The publishing program will include about two to three titles per season. Beyond the first three books, formats will include Little Golden Books, digest-sized novelizations of the Go Rush!! series, and, further down the road, Step into Reading leveled readers and guides to the games and the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! “With its long history, there’s a robust background to Yu-Gi-Oh! that gives ample room to explore the world, in formats not only for the target but also for adult fans and collectors,” Shealy said. “It’s a great brand with multiple iterations.”

With the current popularity of anime properties such as KPop Demon Hunters and One Piece, Random House is looking to add more such IPs to its roster of licenses, which already features Pokémon and Nintendo. “It’s time to bring more of that in, and we have other anime/manga irons in the fire,” Shealy said. But he points out that the company needs to be selective: “Not everything fits for the younger set.”

Alongside Random House, Konami also added Panini to its list of Yu-Gi-Oh! licensees. The Italian publisher will release sticker books and other formats in select European and Central and South American territories, starting with France and French-speaking Belgium.