Magic: Legends, the next action RPG Magic: the Gathering from Cryptic Studios, is set to enter the Open Beta on March 23, 2021 on PC.
Legends was originally announced at the 2019 Game Awards as an online multiplayer (MMO) game set in the Magic multiverse. However, as more details were released about the game, Cryptic stopped calling the game MMO and started referring to it as a “persistent online action RPG”.
First impressions of the game reveal that it is comparable to Diablo-style action RPGs with an additional deck-building component. You select a class – which roughly aligns with one of the Magic’s five colors – and then build a deck of 12 spell cards. These cards are “pulled” randomly into your character’s four magic slots, where they can be used to summon creatures or cast spells.
Magic: Legends will be a free game. Players will start with access to one of the game’s classes, with the others accessible through cash or in-game currency. Likewise, randomized card packs to expand your spell arsenal will be available in both cash and in-game currency.
The Beta period of the game was scheduled for 2020, but Cryptic announced last September that it was delaying the Beta to 2021. Instead, Cryptic conducted two Alpha test periods with more than 100,000 players participating and providing feedback. There will be a final Alpha trial period before the Open Beta starts – you can sign up at www.playmagiclegends.com for the chance to participate.
Cryptic Studios claims that Magic: Legends will be officially released “later this year” on PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4.