BLEACH Thousand Year Blood War Gets UNION ARENA’s First Vol. 3

Bandai announced the first ever Vol. 3 for UNION ARENA and it’s for the wildly popular BLEACH: Thousand Year Blood War set. While the announcement was made for the Asia/Japanese version of the game, it’s still huge news for UNION ARENA BLEACH players and fans playing the English version who want to see their decks gain further support, and also signals the path forward for UNION ARENA as a whole.

The fact that BLEACH will be getting a third volume in Japan not only means we are likely to get a third volume in the English version of the game (and sooner rather than later based on the fact that Thousand Year Blood War will be getting it’s fourth and final season in 2026) also means it’s highly likely that other sets will get additional volumes and support, granting new and exciting combinations to build with, and a bright future for the game as a whole which so far has relied on a release strategy that prioritizes going wide rather than deep on anime titles.

And this “going wide” approach has served the game well – UNION ARENA boasts a thriving and growing competitive scene, with high level tournaments selling out within minutes online. A 2026-27 Championship Season has already been announced, and it seems Bandai is getting more serious than ever about its anime IP brawler card game that soared to new heights at the end of 2025 thanks to the massively popular Kaiju No. 8, NIKKE, and Demon Slayer Vol. 2 sets.

Digging into the BLEACH: Thousand Year Blood War Vol. 3 announcement

While the UNION ARENA world has been abuzz lately with announcements of new titles getting added to the English version of the game, the BLEACH Vol. 3 announcement is probably the biggest news we’ve had for some time. For starters, it means something big for UNION ARENA as a whole – fans who are already invested in the game can go deeper into their favorite strategies.

Going wide versus deep – how the pivot to depth signals a bright future for UNION ARENA

As I said in the beginning of the article, UNION ARENA’s release strategy to date for the English Version of the game has been a “go wide” approach. And that makes a ton of sense for a game like this with multiple properties trying to establish itself in a competitive TCG space. More titles and more IPs means tapping into different fandoms and interests, while growing the overall reach of the game.

However, as UNION ARENA becomes more established (we’re going on its second year in the English version with no signs of slowing down any time soon), Bandai will need to pivot to a strategy that rewards players who have stuck around. Eventually, players will want that additional support for their favorite BLEACH deck, or favorite SAO deck, or whatever anime they are into.

Now that we know Vol. 3 strategies are not only possible but confirmed, players can feel a whole lot better about their existing investments as well as on future investments into sets knowing there’s a solid chance their favorite decks and strategies will be getting additional support sometime down the road.

What new cards will we get in BLEACH: Thousand Year Blood War Vol. 3?

Very little has been released about BLEACH’s third volume, other than it will be based on Thousand Year Blood War like the first two. However, going by the cover image shared via UNION ARENA’s official Japanese page, a few things seem likely.

Added support for Blue BLEACH?

First of all, Ichigo is depicted, and from the looks of him he’s the same Ichigo we got in the second volume Blue deck. This could signify added support coming to the Blue BLEACH deck – a strategy that could admittedly use a little more help despite getting some strong cards in the BLEACH New Card Selection.

Rukia is also pictured int he graphic, and tellingly its not the original Rukia from the purple deck but instead the Rukia whom descends from the Soul King Palace equipped with her powerful new Bankai.

Of all the predictions I could make about BLEACH’s third Volume, I think the one that is most likely is that there will be huge added support for the Blue BLEACH strategy, especially the one focused on Ichigo/Rukia.

That also stands to reason given unlike the other BLEACH colors which had a first volume, Blue BLEACH came out in the second volume, meaning it hasn’t had much of an update yet.

If this ends up being true, other net new Vol. 2 decks that may have felt a little lack luster at launch could potentially be getting added support when their own respective Vol. 3 sets launch.

Does Yellow BLEACH get stronger?

One deck that really could use some help is Yellow BLEACH. While Yellow BLEACH got some shiny new toys in Vol. 2, overall it’s the energy color that’s missing the most. The Yhwach/Jugram deck that was alright when the set first came out is so unplayable it’s forgotten, while the more promising Yellow Bambies deck faired alright for a wile before the UNION ARENA English meta greatly surpassed it.

However, Uryu is pictured in this graphic, making one think (or maybe hope is the better word) that Yellow will be getting some solid support in the third volume.

Will we get an Arrancar deck?

While everything else above is exciting enough to keep a dedicated UNION ARENA player like myself up at night, the coolest thing potentially spoiled in this graphic is the potential inclusion of an Arrancar deck.

While Arrancars don’t play a huge role in the Thousand Year Blood War, they are present, and Grimmjow does team up with Ichigo’s crew. He’s the Arrancar featured in the graphic and we could very well end up seeing a new deck themed around him.

However, will that deck be included in an existing energy color, or will it be a brand new energy color altogether?

My guess is a new energy color: maybe Grimmjow will be a red deck. However, if they were going to fit him into an existing energy color, it would probably be a yellow one.

While having an Arrancar like Grimmjow sounds pretty cool, I do have to point out Arrancar have actually been present in BLEACH Thousand Year Blood war before thanks to the zero-cost Nel character we got back in the original set. Maybe we’ll get the grown up form of Nel in this set? And if so will she be a Purple character that raids over the zero-cost?

The sky is the limit for this set as we’ve never had a Vol. 3 before. Whatever happens, though, it’s sure to be exciting!