Wizards Of The Coast Discreetly Launched Magic Spellslingers On PC And Mobile
Wizards of the Coast has launched a new online collectible card game called Magic Spellslingers without the usual fanfare associated with an official game launch. The game is a quicker and more simplified and character-focused version of Magic: The Gathering that soft-launched on mobile devices and on Steam earlier this month
“Spellslingers shines the spotlight on some of Magic's most iconic characters, bringing them to life in a new visual style all their own. Decks are built around one of sixteen playable Spellslinger characters (with more to come in future updates), each with their own personality, playstyle, and unique abilities.”
Unlocking a new character automatically unlocks that characters 30-card starter deck allowing you to jump into a match right away. You can also customize the starter deck or build a new one from scratch using existing cards in your collection. You’ll also be able to join teams to share your deck and card lists with your friends or trade materials to craft new cards.
According to fansite MTG Rocks, Magic Spellslingers was first announced in 2019 as Kylem’s Arena and was described by Wizards of the Coast CEO Chris Cocks as a way to reinvent the classic Magic: The Gathering card game for mobile. The game discreetly launched into Early Access on Steam in May 2021 and rolled out its Version 1.0 update on August 5th. For some reason, the launch was only announced on Twitter and MTG’s official site last week.
Steam reviews are currently mixed with the general consensus that the game bears a strong similarity to Hearthstone and is simple yet fun but littered with microtransactions. Some players are also put off by its overly-simplistic mechanics, especially hardcore Magic: The Gathering players. It’s also allegedly pay-to-win.
Magic Spellslingers is free-to-play on Steam, Google Play, and the App Store.
