February 18, 2026 | Written by Peter Schumacher

As the Star Wars™: Unlimited trading card game heads into its third year, one topic on everyone's mind is rotation. We announced a while ago that the first instance of rotation for this game would occur with the launch of its seventh set, A Lawless Time. At the same time, we will also be officially launching the Eternal format, adding yet another way to play the game!

We've mentioned terms like “rotation” and “Eternal” a few times, and even though we've talked about what they mean in past discussions, we figured now was the perfect time to provide a refresher right before it all goes live. So, without further ado, let's go over what rotation entails for Star Wars: Unlimited!

What Does Rotation Even Mean?

For some of you, Star Wars: Unlimited might be your very first trading card game, which means this will be your first experience with the concept of rotation. Let's go over what it means:

A trading card game is constantly evolving, with new sets dropping every few months that shake things up in exciting ways. Over time, as the number of cards that are legal to play in Premier build up, eventually it gets to be a bit too much for a stable and balanced primary format. In order to keep the competitive scene healthy, it's important to refresh the card pool from time to time, and that's where rotation comes in!

When a set “rotates” in Star Wars: Unlimited, that means it will no longer be legal in the Premier format. Any cards that belong to a rotated set cannot be included in your Premier decks, unless those same cards also appear in a later set that is Premier legal. For example, the Death Trooper (Spark of Rebellion, 33) unit originally appeared in Spark of Rebellion, which is rotating once A Lawless Time launches. However, the Death Trooper also appears in Secrets of Power, which will still be a Premier-legal set, which means you can still include Death Troopers in your Premier decks going into A Lawless Time.

Which Sets are Rotating Out with the Release of A Lawless Time?

Each “batch” of Star Wars: Unlimited sets is designed to be Premier-legal for around two years, with sets rotating in groups of three. Since we are heading into the game's third year, this means that every set that released in its first year will be rotating out.

In other words, starting with the release of A Lawless Time, cards from Spark of Rebellion, Shadows of the Galaxy, and Twilight of the Republic will no longer be legal for the Premier format.

Now, just because those cards are rotating out doesn't mean you can't still play with them. For starters, everything is fair game in Twin Suns, and you'll also be able to use all your cards in the Eternal format, which brings us to our second main topic for the day…

What is the Eternal Format?

The Eternal format is, as its name implies, a format where every card in the game is eternally legal. This means that every card that has been or will be released for the game can be played in Eternal, including everything that's currently legal in Premier. Even cards that have been suspended in Premier are still legal in Eternal, so long as they aren't also on Eternal's own separate suspension list.

As you might expect, this means that the Eternal format opens the door to all sorts of crazy card combinations that might be considered a bit “much” for Premier. Don't believe us? Try combining a Superlaser Technician (Spark of Rebellion, 83) with a Payroll Heist (A Lawless Time, 169) for a glut of resources, or filling a Hera Syndulla (Spark of Rebellion, 8) deck with seven sets' worth of Spectre units (including the multi-aspect units from A Lawless Time). Believe us when we say that things get wild and exciting fast when all cards are on the table!

Will the Eternal Format Have Organized Play Support?

Eternal sounds like a lot of fun, sure, but lots of players will (understandably) want a reason to play it aside from the occasional casual game with a friend. Thankfully, we are pleased to announce that the Eternal format will also receive Organized Play support going forward!

Starting with A Lawless Time, select Planetary Qualifiers will be run using the Eternal format, with around 10 PQs running Eternal in this upcoming set. Depending on community response and interest, we could see a larger number of Eternal PQs in future sets, and who knows? We may even expand the format into Sectors and Regionals as well.

While the main focus of Competitive-tier Organized Play events will remain on Premier and limited formats, we are thrilled to add Eternal to the list of formats that will be supported. We also plan to have an open Eternal tournament at this year's Galactic Championship, though you'll have to wait a bit longer to hear more details about that, so stay tuned!

Truly Unlimited Possibilities

With the release of A Lawless Time just a couple short weeks away, Star Wars: Unlimited is about to experience its biggest shakeup yet. Whether you solely focus on Premier after the first three sets rotate out or you decide to dive into the wild and vast world of Eternal, this game will always have something exciting to explore!