MetaZoo, the cryptid-themed trading card game, is entering a new era under the ownership of Charlie Hurlocker, a longtime figure in the trading card industry.
Following its bankruptcy, Hurlocker has ambitious plans to rebuild the game with a focus on quality, community, and sustainable growth through GameQbator Labs.
YouTube channel Nick’s Strength and Pokemon interviewed Hurlock in an extensive 2-hour interview.
A Veteran Takes the Helm
Hurlocker has been involved in trading cards since his youth, flipping Pokémon cards in middle school and eventually working for major industry players like CGC and PSA. By the time he graduated high school, he was earning more from trading cards than his parents made at their jobs, he said.
Now 30, Hurlocker has turned his attention to revitalizing MetaZoo, a game he believes has a strong foundation of fan support.
“I made a very big bet that people liked [this game],” said Hurlocker.
Building a Better MetaZoo
Hurlocker is making changes to how MetaZoo cards are produced. Partnering with Millennium Print Group, a leading trading card printer, he’s determined to avoid the pitfalls of the past. Overproduction, he explained, was a significant factor in the company’s earlier struggles.
“We will not overprint it… overprinting was very clearly the major reason that the company went into distress initially,” he explained.
New MetaZoo will get a full set release
The first major release under his leadership, a full booster set, is scheduled for Q1. Hurlocker said the team has been working tirelessly to ensure the product meets industry standards while staying true to MetaZoo’s identity.
“It’s going to be a full set. I told you we’re bringing back MetaZoo,” Hurlocker explained with a big smile. “I’m not going to bring you a 12-card promo set and pretend that that’s what you want. I know what you want. Have a little faith in me. I know what you guys want.”
Hurlocker said the team is focused on delivering a full-scale trading card experience with MetaZoo’s upcoming release.
“We’re going to bring a full set with all the trappings. I think we are going to bring the full scale of trading card production. We are going to bring a competitive experience for when you are opening a booster pack or when you are opening a booster box,” he explained.
Hurlocker emphasized that they’re not just aiming to improve on past efforts. This isn’t about simply clearing the bar set by the old MetaZoo — they want it to be much better.
“We’re looking at the industry and we’re saying MetaZoo deserves to be a player in that industry, and we believe that it can be, if we do these things correctly,” he said.
Art and Community at the Core
Hurlocker also says he is placing a renewed emphasis on MetaZoo’s art and its community. He’s brought back many of the game’s original artists, whom he described as culturally significant to the brand.
“My goal is to give them the platform necessary to actually do their best work,” said Hurlocker. “I really believe that you will see some of these cards and you will feel that they were given time and opportunity and direction and references and characters that they can work with.”
The community, Hurlocker emphasized, is MetaZoo’s backbone.
“The success of MetaZoo, for the foreseeable future, is really about giving the community what it needs and executing on that vision. It’s not about me; it’s about enabling the people who care to do what they love,” he said.
Expanding MetaZoo’s Reach
While Hurlocker’s immediate focus is on the trading card game, he sees potential for MetaZoo to expand into other media, such as animation and comics. Discussions have already begun, but he acknowledged that these projects are long-term goals.
“All of those things [TV, animation, games] are absolutely on our road map. But let’s be honest, those are very hard things. You don’t go buy a TV production deal at Costco. It’s not a Q1 promise; it’s going to take a lot of time,” he said.
For now, the priority is delivering a top-tier trading card game.
“Only trust us when we deliver a good product,” he said. “I think that our release plan is our trust plan.”
