In the few years since its release, Magic: The Gathering Arena has already introduced many new players to the famous CCG. 2020 was MtG’s most profitable year yet, and much of that success can be attributed to Magic: The Gathering Arena.
Despite these massive leaps, there are still some elements of Magic Arena that feel rough around the edges. Some of these are due to issues that have plagued every digital adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, while others are problems with the client itself.
Speed Up The Resolve Timer
MTGA is an incredibly faithful adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, but some elements of the physical card game don’t translate well to digital play. Every time a player plays a card, activates an ability, or even wants to end their turn, the other player needs to click the “Resolve” button to confirm that they’re not going to interrupt with an action of their own.
It’s admirable that Magic Arena has managed to implement this element of the game, but the tedium of waiting for the other player can turn games into an absolute slog. Players are sometimes forced to wait several minutes multiple times during their own turns. While this mechanic is an inherent facet of Magic: The Gathering, it means that games can vary wildly in length, depending on how quickly an opponent responds. The process of resolving an action should be streamlined so games can be a more reasonable length.
Adjust Weekly Quest Requirements
Daily and weekly quests allow Magic Arena players to earn cards and resources, but some can be tedious to complete. Players hoping to maximize their rewards are required to win 15 games each week, which can be a difficult number to hit. Wizards of the Coast has been fairly slow to nerf problematic decks, and losing streaks are fairly common. Since games vary wildly in length, it’s difficult to predict how long it will take to win 15 games in any given week.
There are also a few daily quests that can be annoying to complete, especially those that require players to play 20 or 30 cards of a specific color. Most players can’t afford competitive decks that feature every color, so they’re often forced to play underpowered starter decks if they want to complete these quests. It makes completing those dailies feel like a chore.
Wizards of the Coast should consider overhauling quests to reward MTGA players for the time they spend in the game, rather than requiring them to invest a different amount of time into playing each week. Replacing “Win 15 Games” with “Play 20 Games” could make the weekly grind feel much less frustrating.
Let Players Dust Cards
The crafting system in Magic Arena isn’t especially intuitive. Players need to collect Wildcards of a particular rarity, which can then be redeemed for a card of their choice. Rare Wildcards are earned every six packs, while Mythic Rare Wildcards are earned every 30. Since many of the strongest decks mostly contain Rare and Mythic Rare cards, it can take a very long time for players to earn enough resources to play competitively.
Magic Arena should take a note from Hearthstone and include a way for players to disenchant cards they don’t want. This would give players more agency in deciding the decks they want to play. If owning a powerful deck would felt like a more attainable goal, players would be more likely to stick with the game.
Stabilize the Client
MTGA’s biggest weakness is its stability as a client. The game takes ages to boot up and often needs to download massive updates. It’s not uncommon for Magic Arena to crash or freeze, causing players to lose games they could have otherwise won. Magic: The Gathering is already a game of chance, and adding the program’s stability as another variable can be quite frustrating. Even adding a toggleable background updater could go a long way towards making the game less of a hassle to boot up.
With Magic Arena’s mobile client already in early access, Wizards of the Coast has an excellent opportunity to attract even more fans to the game. By continuing to update and improve the experience, Wizards of the Coast can ensure MTGA’s popularity for years to come.
Magic: The Gathering Arena is available now on PC and Mac. It is also available in early access on mobile.
