The newest digital version of Magic: The Gathering, Magic Arena, launched on the Epic Game Store alongside its new Theros Beyond Death card set earlier today. Magic Arena is Wizards of the Coast’s attempt to transform the extremely popular tabletop offering of Magic: The Gathering into an esport and the first year of that effort went quite well, with the digital offering amassing a large following as it became a focal point of Twitch coverage and advertising.
Magic: The Gathering’s Theros Beyond Death card set is rooted in Greek mythology as players return to the plane of Theros. The last visit there culminated in the death of fan-favorite planeswalker Elspeth Tirel, and a major turning point in the new set is Elspeth’s attempt to escape the underworld while Ashiok, a villainous planeswalker of unknown origins who torments people through nightmares, attempts to prevent her from doing so. Theros Beyond Death is also bringing back a few key mechanics from past sets that fans have loved, including devotion and the Saga card type, the latter of which has featured some of the best Magic: The Gathering art in recent memory.
Magic Arena’s Epic Games Store debut coincides with the release of the game’s newest card set in Theros Beyond Death, marking two major milestones for the property in a single day. Magic Arena is slowly expanding its availability, with a Mac version of the game still in development. Even without an offering on mobile - competitors like Hearthstone have made that platform a priority and been paid off for it - Magic Arena remains one of the most popular digital card games in the world, partially due to the fact that it is tied into the tabletop offering that already has a passionate, dedicated fanbase. Theros Beyond Death is available on Magic Arena before its paper release, too, with a tabletop launch date of January 24 approaching soon.
Magic Arena’s Theros Beyond Death expansion was previewed with several digital-only events that allowed players to go hands-on with the new Elspeth and Ashiok planeswalkers, alongside some of the game’s most famous cards. Theros Beyond Death also had its prerelease weekend in tabletop locations across the world, where it was praised by many pros as one of the deeper Limited sets they’ve experienced in some time. If Standard is able to stabilize without requiring the slew of bannings that came in the wake of Throne of Eldraine’s release, it’s possible Wizards of the Coast is sitting on one of its best sets in recent memory - and with great timing, given the new year’s fresh start.
For now, though, players will have to wait and see what becomes of Theros Beyond Death as more and more people get a chance to get the cards on Magic Arena and put them through their paces. Magic Arena’s debut on the Epic Game Store, however, marks a significant moment for the title as its reach continues to grow, and the new set excitement could be very valuable in attracting even more players to the platform ahead of what’s supposed to be an exciting 2020 for the property.
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Magic Arena is available now on PC (and on the Epic Game Store).
