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    Custom and proxy trading cards: what's allowed in 2026

    A proxy is a stand-in for a real trading card. Official Magic and Pokémon tournaments allow only genuine cards, plus proxies issued by judges to replace cards damaged during an event.[1][2][3] Wizards of the Coast treats unauthorised reproductions as counterfeits and excludes proxy cards from its fan content policy,[4][5] while printers such as MakePlayingCards bar orders that infringe others' IP.[6]

    Editor reviewedUpdated Gaming

    This page explains published rules and policies. It is not legal advice, and it does not link to or recommend any seller of unofficial card reproductions.

    Custom cards, proxies and counterfeits

    Three different things get called “custom cards”:

    • Original custom cards: your own art, names and rules, for a game you designed. Print-on-demand services such as The Game Crafter are built for this, with no minimum order.[7]
    • Proxies: stand-ins for a real card, used so a player can test or play a deck without owning every card. In official tournaments, only judges can create these.[2]
    • Counterfeits: copies made to look like the real card. Wizards of the Coast, which makes Magic: The Gathering, says unauthorised reproductions of its cards are a type of counterfeit, even hand-marked ones.[4]

    In official rules the word “proxy” has a narrow meaning. Under Magic’s Tournament Rules (effective 27 February 2026), a proxy is a judge-issued substitute for a card that can no longer be used without marking the deck, and players may not create their own.[2] Pokémon’s tournament handbook likewise reserves proxies for cards damaged during an event and tells staff to treat any other proxy as counterfeit.[8]

    What Wizards of the Coast allows

    Wizards’ Fan Content Policy lets fans use its IP, including card art, in content they share for free, such as videos, blogs and fan art.[9] Fan content must say clearly that it is unofficial and not endorsed by Wizards.[10] The policy has two limits that matter for cards. It says fan content does not include creating counterfeit or proxy Magic cards, even when they are distributed free.[5] And it bars using Wizards’ IP in other games or game components.[11]

    For organised play, Magic’s Tournament Rules allow only regulation-sized, genuine Magic cards released by Wizards in sanctioned events.[1] In 2016 Wizards also said it had begun asking stores in its play network not to run unsanctioned events with counterfeit cards.[12]

    What Pokémon allows

    The Play! Pokémon TCG Tournament Handbook, last revised 1 September 2026, allows only genuine Pokémon cards at Play! Pokémon events unless a judge or organiser issues a proxy.[3] A proxy may be issued only when a card is damaged during the tournament, and any other proxy is to be treated as a counterfeit card.[8]

    Why companies care

    Hasbro, which owns Wizards of the Coast, lists counterfeiting of its products and infringement of its IP among the risks to its business.[13] Magic is a large business to protect: it earned $545.3 million in the second quarter of 2026 alone.[14] Collectible cards can also be valuable. The best-selling single card by dollar value on TCGplayer in the first quarter of 2026, a Mega Charizard X ex, had a market price of $826.41 in April 2026.[15]

    Printing services: what their terms say

    We have not ordered from or tested any printing service. This section compares published terms and prices only, as of 10 October 2026.

    ServiceWhat it offersPublished IP terms
    MakePlayingCards.comCustom game cards, listed on its US site “from 0.75” (the unit is not stated on the home page)[16]Customers may not use the service to violate others’ IP; it may cancel infringing orders and holds customers legally responsible for uploads[6][17]
    The Game CrafterPrint-on-demand games with no minimum order and bulk discounts from 10 copies; designers can sell through its shop[7][18]Not reviewed for this page

    The practical upshot is that mainstream printers suit original designs, playtest cards for your own game, and personal art cards that use no one else’s IP. Printing copies of official cards conflicts with MakePlayingCards’ terms and falls outside Wizards’ fan content policy, and such cards cannot be used at official Magic or Pokémon events.[6][5][8] For industry news, see the TCG industry tracker.

    Questions readers ask

    Can I use proxy cards at a Magic tournament?

    Not ones you make yourself. Magic's Tournament Rules allow only genuine Magic cards in sanctioned events, and only the Head Judge can issue a proxy, for example for a card accidentally damaged during the event.[1][2]

    Can I use proxies at Pokémon events?

    Only if a judge or organiser issues one to replace a card damaged during the tournament. Any other proxy is treated as a counterfeit card.[3][8]

    Does Wizards' fan content policy cover proxy cards?

    No. The policy says fan content does not include creating counterfeit or proxy Magic cards, even if they are given away free.[5]

    Can I make my own original trading card game?

    Print-on-demand services such as The Game Crafter print original games with no minimum order. Wizards' policy bars using its IP in other games, so the content needs to be your own.[7][11]

    Will a printing service print copies of real cards?

    Its terms usually forbid it. MakePlayingCards' terms bar using its service to violate others' intellectual property and let it cancel infringing orders.[6][17]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      Magic's Tournament Rules, effective 27 February 2026, allow only regulation-sized, genuine Magic cards released by Wizards of the Coast in sanctioned events. confirmedas of 2026-02-27

    2. [2]

      Under Magic's Tournament Rules, players may not make their own proxies; only the Head Judge can issue one, for example to replace a card accidentally damaged during the tournament. confirmedas of 2026-02-27

    3. [3]

      The Play! Pokémon TCG Tournament Handbook, last revised 1 September 2026, allows only genuine Pokémon cards at Play! Pokémon events unless a judge or organiser issues a proxy. confirmedas of 2026-09-01

    4. [4]

      In a 2016 statement, Wizards of the Coast said unauthorised reproductions of Magic cards are a type of counterfeit. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    5. [5]

      Wizards of the Coast's Fan Content Policy says fan content does not include creating counterfeit or proxy Magic - The Gathering cards, even if they are distributed for free. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    6. [6]

      MakePlayingCards.com's terms bar customers from using its service to violate others' intellectual property rights and let it cancel orders and terminate access. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    7. [7]

      The Game Crafter, a US print-on-demand game maker, has no minimum order and offers bulk discounts from 10 copies. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    8. [8]

      The Play! Pokémon handbook says proxies may be used only to replace cards damaged during a tournament, and any other proxy is treated as a counterfeit card. confirmedas of 2026-09-01

    9. [9]

      Wizards of the Coast's Fan Content Policy lets fans use its IP in content they share with the community for free, subject to restrictions. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    10. [10]

      Wizards of the Coast's Fan Content Policy requires fan content to state clearly that it is unofficial and not endorsed by Wizards. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    11. [11]

      Wizards of the Coast's Fan Content Policy bars using its IP in other games or game components, even when distributed free. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    12. [12]

      Wizards of the Coast said in 2016 that it had begun asking stores in its play network not to organise unsanctioned events using counterfeit cards. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    13. [13]

      Hasbro lists counterfeiting of its products and infringement of its intellectual property as business risks in its annual report. confirmedas of 2026-02-25

    14. [14]

      Magic - The Gathering revenue was $545.3 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 32% from $412.0 million a year earlier. confirmedas of 2026-07-21

    15. [15]

      The top-selling single card by dollar value on TCGplayer in the first quarter of 2026 was a Mega Charizard X ex from Pokémon's Phantasmal Flames set, with a market price of $826.41 on 13 April 2026. confirmedas of 2026-04-13

    16. [16]

      As of October 2026, MakePlayingCards.com's home page listed custom game cards "from 0.75", without stating the unit. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    17. [17]

      MakePlayingCards.com's terms say it may, but is not obliged to, monitor and cancel orders that violate third-party copyrights or other intellectual property rights, and that customers are legally responsible for what they upload. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    18. [18]

      Designers who make a game at The Game Crafter can sell it worldwide through the company's online shop. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "Custom and proxy trading cards: what's allowed in 2026." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/explain/custom-and-proxy-trading-cards

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