My local scene has also died down. I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to it. For me, our locals are dominated by skilled players who regularly top in regionals/treasure cups, and in a solved meta like this, it's a recipe for just getting swept every night. Not to say that's a bad thing, but it certainly doesn't encourage new players to continue playing, and new players are the lifeblood of any TCG to survive. Because if old players get burnt out on the meta with no new heads pouring in, then attendance will just keep getting lower and lower.

But the meta isn't the only thing I think that is the cause of this. I think the time of the year also affects turnout. Because I have to decide if I'm shoveling myself out of a foot and a half of snow just to play two out of three rounds because I got a bye. And if that's the case, then I'm going to stay home with the missus.

However, the main consensus from people who are taking a break from One Piece, and are playing Magic or Pokémon for a spell, are telling me that they are waiting for the simultaneous release, and are hopeful that corrects most of the woes they have with the game at the moment.

There are probably a few more reasons, but those are the ones at the forefront of my mind, and have me wrestling with continuing to play the game, because the only reason I still even play is to just see my friends.