Magic: The Gathering Arena

 PC
User Score
2.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 209 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 209
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 209
  3. Negative: 147 out of 209

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  1. ILikeBosch
    Sep 29, 2022
    4
    It has engaging gameplay loops that keep pulling you back in, but the sad reality is that this is just another game for whales to exploit lowly free-to-play users. If you don't buy cards in this game and construct a godlike deck made of countless rares and mythic rares, you're not getting out of Platinum ranked. You can get a mono aggro deck to Platinum easily, which speaks volumes aboutIt has engaging gameplay loops that keep pulling you back in, but the sad reality is that this is just another game for whales to exploit lowly free-to-play users. If you don't buy cards in this game and construct a godlike deck made of countless rares and mythic rares, you're not getting out of Platinum ranked. You can get a mono aggro deck to Platinum easily, which speaks volumes about the state of matchmaking. If you're playing standard casual, you're getting rocked by master players with cards f2p can't seem to find. Bronze to Gold ranked is almost all the same skill level, it's where free to play players go to grind their wins because they can't go anywhere else. Even if you do get out of platinum and into mythic, you're going to get destroyed by the "rigged" shuffler algorithm. It's not uncommon, and I mean this happens on a daily basis, to somehow draw up to 6 or even 7 lands in a row. I have lost count of how often this happens, and people were complaining about this "bug" as far back as launch many years ago. The fact that it hasn't been "fixed" seems to all but confirm all of the conspiracy theorists' thoughts about how this feature punishes free-to-play players into spending money. The algorithm pits you against players based on deck composition, so you're either getting people with the same deck, or people with the exact deck to counter your cards, and then sometimes it's down to who gets to go first in a game that decides the outcome.

    The economy is awful, often making it simply impossible for casual players to redeem wildcards to craft new decks. Rares and Mythic Rares are locked behind all-to-uncommon wildcards needed to create them, and copies of them once unlocked. This system may have been reasonable when there were only a handful of sets, but there are like 20 sets in MTG Arena now, if you don't specifically play standard, and even then, the handful of standard sets make up thousands of cards. If you're lurking on aetherhub or some other card builder site and you've spotted a popular mono white aggro deck or something that wins 55% of games, you're likely missing anywhere from 10-20 wildcards to make it. I've been playing casually off and on for a few years and I've still not been able to make more than a handful of new, fresh decks from scratch because MTG is so miserly with their rewards. Gold is locked behind dailies and weeklies, so once you've completed them, you can't make any more gold for the rest of the day. This is insane, as it restricts players for...playing the game. Card packs now cost 1300 if you want to guarantee a Mythic Rare in it. They strategically place this pack right next to the regular packs, and then hide Alchemy packs in-between so you could potentially buy an alchemy pack instead of a regular pack if you're not paying attention. The whole thing feels like a scam, and remains predatory toward casual players; this is ironic considering the entire game is marketed toward this demographic. The game is free to play, after all. Casual players don't drop whale fortunes on games.

    The one upside is that this display of shortsighted greed has made me want to explore paper Magic for the first time. If I'm spending money, I'd rather have something tangible with collectible value, and then I know I won't get screwed by statistically impossible land draw dysfunction every 6 games.    … Expand
  2. Azametzin
    May 2, 2021
    4
    I love MTG, and I am the kind of person who will avidly defend even some pretty egregious monetization. Even with all that said, MTG Arena has the worst monetization in any game I've ever played, it makes even Hearthstone look like downright socialist by comparison, and it's just too much even for me.
  3. TheFeanture
    Jan 24, 2021
    4
    Pay-to-win classics game. Still can be enjoyable if play from time to time. But not too often. The more you play more pay-to-winier it gets. back to game after month and you win again) Matchmaking made to force you to pay more if you play more)
  4. Faded0cean
    Sep 6, 2023
    4
    This game sucks. The card balance needs to be fixed. There will be days where I can't win a game. Wizards of the coast needs to be better,.
  5. BoneCub
    Nov 10, 2019
    3
    This is gaming's equivalent to the Homer Simpson makeup shotgun.

    What a way to make me interested in Magic again, if only for 2 days. At least I can't say this game is like MTGO: abandoned in the 2000's by a company swimming in so much money they could hardly care if some dummy in Alabama spends 200 dollars a week playing online drafts. MTG Arena has reached the gaming 2010's ladies and    This is gaming's equivalent to the Homer Simpson makeup shotgun.

    What a way to make me interested in Magic again, if only for 2 days. At least I can't say this game is like MTGO: abandoned in the 2000's by a company swimming in so much money they could hardly care if some dummy in Alabama spends 200 dollars a week playing online drafts. MTG Arena has reached the gaming 2010's ladies and gentleman, C0oL animations, clean UI and a deep, stark hatred for you, the consumer. What is the difference between playing bots and real life players in this game? Right there, on the left corner of the screen (or was it right?), can you see it? It's... a Name. Yeah the player has a name, and he can choose out of 20 avatars! But no friend's lists for you, also you have 5 emotes so there's no point in even trying to befriend someone, you can't even look at their decks when the game is over, it reminds me of baby preschool socialization if the teacher was a Chinese government censor. It's an explosion of "good" graphics to keep you from thinking "what the hell am I even doing here anyway?"

    Leveling up is annoyingly stupid too. You get a quest everyday (750 or 500 xp each), plus weekly quests going up to 2500 xp every week. Roughly you get around 1 level or 2 every day, which translates to a pack a day, or maybe 2 if you spend your gold in packs, but if you do say byebye to draft my dear, that costs 5000 gold, equivalent to almost a whole week worth of gold. After completing the quests, everything you do from now on is pointless. You can play ranked, or for fun, but expect nothing, winning might increase your rank, but even if you do the end-season rewards per rank are so petty you'd imagine this is an indie company gasping at straws to keep their company afloat. And by the rarity and sluggishness that the devs update the game, I'm honestly starting to believe wizards has been faking it's size for decades.

    Don't even TRY to get past gold with a non-competitive deck. Don't.

    Draft is broken, the bots simply don't draft the color blue (yeah, you draft against BOTS). Sealed is extremely expensive to play, and you can only play by paying real money. Most events are just boring or too easy, or they require such a huge initial investment from you that you'll be spending money to have a chance, only so that the rewards for these events be barely worth a nickel, mostly just COSMETICS. (Small note, but the cosmetics are also very underwhelming, it's like a faint breeze is passing through the card's artwork, which means you might notice a piece of cloth moving ever so slightly, but that's it)

    The company has also chosen this weird, senseless event "rotation", were certain game modes will not be available to create an artificial sense of urgency and freshness. It's not only events though, sealed and draft follow this same model too. Wanna play sealed this week? Just who the hell do you think you are?! Some people say it is to give space for new game modes to come around, but there is UNLIMITED SPACE, It's an ONLINE game, you can put as much in it as you want!

    Weak, empty, pointless, borderline insulting, expensive, frivolous, unpolished... Nice UI though.    … Expand
  6. LocketheAuthent
    Jan 24, 2020
    3
    Free to play monetization with crafting elements makes any game ugly, let alone what it does to a card collecting deck building game. Decent presentation and a faithful recreation of the actual game, but just dirty otherwise. Just go get the real cards so you actually have something tangible rather than have this manipulative puff waste your time.
  7. kingasbeck
    Sep 13, 2019
    3
    It's a faithful adaptation of the card game, but it's SERIOUSLY pay to win. I'm a long time player of the card game, but I realized how futile things were when I played my first game with a starter deck and faced off against a player with like 6 legendary cards played in the first match.

    Buying lots of microtransactions is the only reliable way to win. Avoid unless that's your thing.
  8. HurdyGurdy1
    Mar 21, 2020
    3
    Seit der Beta habe ich 500 unnötige Gems die völlig nutzlos sind.
    Ich habe während der Beta Geld ausgegeben um ein bisschen was reissen zu können. Damals habt ihr mir ALLES wieder weggenommen. Dafür erhielt ich Gems. Dafür schon mal ein "Fickt euch"
    Uebrig geblieben sind genau 500 Gems. Wer hätte das gedacht. 3 Packs kosten genau 600. Ihr seid solche Wichser. Nun wollte ich heute mal    Seit der Beta habe ich 500 unnötige Gems die völlig nutzlos sind.
    Ich habe während der Beta Geld ausgegeben um ein bisschen was reissen zu können. Damals habt ihr mir ALLES wieder weggenommen. Dafür erhielt ich Gems. Dafür schon mal ein "Fickt euch"
    Uebrig geblieben sind genau 500 Gems. Wer hätte das gedacht. 3 Packs kosten genau 600. Ihr seid solche Wichser. Nun wollte ich heute mal raus finden ob ich zuerst die Abzocker Gems kaufen muss um an Packs zu kommen. Habe unten links, ganz klein Change Payment Method gefunden.
    Um meine Kreditkarte nutzen zu können muss ich zuerst irgend einer Firma Geld überweisen? Noch nie sowas erlebt. Ihr seid das Letzte.    … Expand
  9. Davinonimus
    Sep 11, 2020
    3
    Es magic, así que por supuesto que es pay to win, ese no es el mayor problema entre los muchos que tiene, como por ejemplo el algoritmo propio para las manos iniciales en lugar de simplemente un robo aleatorio y mas justo, si empiezas a subir a platino y a diamante solo jugaras contra la misma baraja una y otra y otra vez, las cartas que no deberían ni existir de lo rotas que están lasEs magic, así que por supuesto que es pay to win, ese no es el mayor problema entre los muchos que tiene, como por ejemplo el algoritmo propio para las manos iniciales en lugar de simplemente un robo aleatorio y mas justo, si empiezas a subir a platino y a diamante solo jugaras contra la misma baraja una y otra y otra vez, las cartas que no deberían ni existir de lo rotas que están las aguantan 4 meses para vender sobres antes de banearlas provocando que esos meses tengas que aguantar a la misma baraja en tooooodas las partidas... en general el mayor problema que tiene es que magic tiene un power creep tan grande y este juego tiene formatos tan limitados que no hay variedad para que resulte minimamente divertido pese a que el juego esta relativamente bien optimizado y tiene pocos bugs que se agradece.… Expand
  10. bronzi
    Dec 29, 2019
    2
    Have you ever gone to FedEx to have something printed? You sit down at the computer, and you're required to swipe your credit card in order to log in. You're charged by the minute while you putz around in your email and Photoshop trying to print your tax forms.

    Playing Magic Arena feels like that. Not only is it insanely greedy--it's an incredibly boring grind. There is no risk or    Have you ever gone to FedEx to have something printed? You sit down at the computer, and you're required to swipe your credit card in order to log in. You're charged by the minute while you putz around in your email and Photoshop trying to print your tax forms.

    Playing Magic Arena feels like that.

    Not only is it insanely greedy--it's an incredibly boring grind.
    There is no risk or reward in the tournaments or gameplay. You pay to do everything and you get almost nothing for it, except rote, impersonal, consequence-less games of MTG.

    The UI leaves a lot to be desired, the graphics (gameboards and effects) are mediocre, the "premium" cards look 10x better in Hearthstone or Gwent, even though they've made premium cards and avatars the primary reward in Magic Arena.

    There's no sense of playing against real people in the game, especially in drafts, since you're competing for your card picks against AI...

    They made opening packs and collecting the set un-fun, by creating the "wildcard" system, which makes the process of opening packs essentially filling up a progress/experience bar. I could not care less if I open a mythic rare.

    If you take a break from the game you will lose all your progress. New cards are constantly added to the "legacy" format--even beyond the cards rotating out of standard--in order to prevent you from easily playing with your long-term collection.

    Game modes, like "Brawl"--which don't require you to have up to date cards--still require you to pay (EXTRA) just for the privilege of playing a casual Magic The Gathering game mode with cards you already own...

    The entire system (far more than paper MTG even), feels like it's optimized in order to PREVENT you enjoying the game at all without spending a constant stream of money.

    This game has the worst monetization scheme of all the digital CCGs, even Hearthstone, even Artifact.
    Even the old Magic Online's notorious monetization scheme (which was a literal representation of the tabletop game) was better, because despite being crazy expensive there was a real sense of risk and reward, which is what makes the gameplay exciting.

    Magic Arena is such a soulless, corporate, money-and-time-suck of a game, and the business attitudes behind it are bad news for MTG in general.    … Expand
  11. Bennz910
    Apr 6, 2019
    2
    I hope they implement some coop game mode agianst AI like the two headed Giant in Magic Duels. Its the only reason for me to play (and pay).
  12. rojcyk
    Jul 26, 2020
    2
    It is fun when you are doing the tutorial missions and there is a bit of PvE. But the moment you enter classic playing against other people who spent a fortune, this is where the fun ends.
  13. Eldoreth
    Dec 4, 2021
    2
    It doesn't deserve a 0 but Arena has a lot of problems that just never get addressed. Things that you would expect from a modern game, free to play or not.
    First of all, I have to say that not a single one of these is a deal breaker on its own, but as an aggregate you can tell where I'm going.
    1. The user interface just isn't very friendly. Figuring things out like how to change sleeves    It doesn't deserve a 0 but Arena has a lot of problems that just never get addressed. Things that you would expect from a modern game, free to play or not.
    First of all, I have to say that not a single one of these is a deal breaker on its own, but as an aggregate you can tell where I'm going.
    1. The user interface just isn't very friendly. Figuring things out like how to change sleeves etc. can require a google search or tutorial and it just shouldn't be like that.
    2. No information in the client. The event schedules are posted on websites rather than in the client. Why they can't tell me when an event will end until it's too late I don't know.
    3. Reporting tools are also not in client. That means I am further inconvenienced whenever I have to try and report another player's toxic behavior (stalling).
    4. Really bad payout structures for limited modes. Quick draft rotation sucks. No phantom draft. No drafting with friends.
    5. Slow and clunky match starts and ends. This creates really long down times between matches. Most games these days let you q up immediately after a match ends. Not so with this client that was perhaps created by an offshore outsourced dev team to cut corners and save money. STINGY
    6. Tone deaf developers who don't listen an iota to players.
    7. The only AI tool is a weak deck buggy mess called Sparky. It's an embarrassment to Arena that this thing even exists in its state. The AI kills its own creatures, attacks with abandon, and just horrible overall. I would expect a decent single player campaign or mode by now, but they can't even fix sparky's AI... embarrassing.
    8. The shop is so whale focused it's ridiculous. Prices are sky high for the littlest thing. If you just focused on making a good game and experience for everyone and not just the whales you could have farmed up a dedicated base of paying customers such as myself. But as it is, you really aren't giving me anything worth paying for...
    9. Expensive. Collecting cards is unwieldy, time consuming, and expensive. They're making it even worse with this Alchemy thing too, proving they are absolutely tone-deaf and greedy AF.
    STAY AWAY.    … Expand
  14. GedricMalkavsky
    May 12, 2020
    2
    Hello everyone.
    I came to the MTG arena from its paper version and at first I really liked it. It was in the summer of 2019, when the Core Set 2020 appeared in the game. The graphics are pretty nice looking, but always lagging when starting the first battle after the start of the game, with any settings. And this is on SSD.
    After the release of Theros in the game, a new inconvenience was    Hello everyone.
    I came to the MTG arena from its paper version and at first I really liked it. It was in the summer of 2019, when the Core Set 2020 appeared in the game. The graphics are pretty nice looking, but always lagging when starting the first battle after the start of the game, with any settings. And this is on SSD.
    After the release of Theros in the game, a new inconvenience was added: checking for updates after the login in the game could last 5-15 minutes. Reinstallation does not help. Moreover, this happens not only on one home computer, but also on a computer located in another house and with another Internet provider. After starting the game, it became a habit to go make tea, sandwiches or open a video on YouTube. They did not fix this with the release of Ikoria.
    I played in a relatively average way: do daily quests and gain cap victories. On average, it turned out 4: 4 or 3: 5 wins: defeats in one game session. Rarely were there a series of defeats 0: 6 (usually I went out after that and did not continue) or a series of victories 5: 0 for example.
    In the in-game store, I bought the Battle Pass and full pre-orders. Separately, I did not buy boosters for $. I was also not interested in, for the most part, ugly skins or card covers.

    The interesting thing started after the release of Ikoria. I watched a dull trailer and dull card art, and the whole idea of ​​the set seemed completely silly and childish to me. And I decided to buy a basic battle pass and not do a full pre-order. In addition, a lot of cards and wild cards have accumulated on my account, so I could craft all the interesting things.
    The beginning of May, Ikory’s quick draft for the next two weeks began and the game finally turned into some kind of casino.
    Not paid - not a player.
    Total endless series of defeats. But if you can still fight in the Draft somehow at first, but then fly off the enemy’s top deck. Then in the Constructed or in a non-ranking match there is a constant lack of mana (no more than two cards). And the opponents are matched all strictly with a counter deck and strictly the same playing cards. A new round begins, a new opponent, and the cards are played all clearly in the same order as the previous one, only the avatar and color of the card shirt changes. If you change the deck, then the counter deck will climb exclusively on it. It reminded me of Heartstone. Days pass, and this non-randomizer does not change.

    In general, thank you Wizards - your greed has freed me from this "game."

    Advice for doubters: if you want to play cards like that, then play better in the paper version, where you will depend only on the randomizer of the universe. As an option MTGO, if you are more comfortable at home.

    P. S. The music in the game is good. The cries and voices of creatures, phrases of plinswalkers, too. Actually, therefore, the rating of the game is not zero.
    P.P. S. S. If some of my phrases seemed too pretentious or simple, sorry - English is not my native language.    … Expand
  15. SoBadIMadeanAcc
    Sep 18, 2020
    2
    I made an account on metacritic just to criticize this - i've never done anything like that before but its a testament to how annoying i found this game. I won't touch the Freemium P2W/Land Algororihm aspects - others have dealt with those and its a problem. This game even comes with the highly realistic but somehow more improbable than real life situations where you mulligan 7 times andI made an account on metacritic just to criticize this - i've never done anything like that before but its a testament to how annoying i found this game. I won't touch the Freemium P2W/Land Algororihm aspects - others have dealt with those and its a problem. This game even comes with the highly realistic but somehow more improbable than real life situations where you mulligan 7 times and only get one mana or straight draw close to 7 mana after accepting a mulligan with a good curve in an aggro deck. You will find this very frustrating to play if you are new to MTG or from paper magic.

    This game somehow manages to be clunky BUT NOT clunky enough where it needs it. There is not enough information on when you are still allowed to cast instants, tap creatures, etc. It does not even properly display(Either bugged or incredibly poor visualizations) on whether something IS a declared blocker. You'll end up casting stuff AFTER you want to because of how poor the indicators of what is going on are. Some of the cards get hidden underneath their spell effects and its difficult to just READ the card that's been put into play. Steer clear and avoid the huge amount of frustration for what otherwise should be an enjoyable experience.    … Expand
  16. qwerts216
    Jan 15, 2021
    2
    Good way to test deck ideas, but the player base is terrible. Nearly every game the opponent will either take incredibly long turns or spam chat when you take any time at all during your turn. Also it takes far too long to earn coins for drafting.
  17. TurgidTenthInc
    Aug 11, 2023
    2
    I'm a lifelong paper MtG player and I have to say that this isn't it. First, WotC clearly prioritized cosmetics and monetization over client stability and performance. That is all exacerbated by the decisions WotC has made with regard to format balancing in both digital and paper over the years. Gameplay wise, the game is in the worst shape it has been in for years. Don't botherI'm a lifelong paper MtG player and I have to say that this isn't it. First, WotC clearly prioritized cosmetics and monetization over client stability and performance. That is all exacerbated by the decisions WotC has made with regard to format balancing in both digital and paper over the years. Gameplay wise, the game is in the worst shape it has been in for years. Don't bother investing in the Historic format as WotC has reserved the right to nerf cards after you have acquired them without refunding or giving you the option to exchange them back for wildcards. You'll see the same handful of decks, especially in Bo1 ranked, every game. Currently if you don't have a maindecked response to a certain 4 mana indestructible artifact that draws you a ton of cards every tun, you will lose. That brings me to the biggest problem with the format: Alchemy. It is an abysmal format with terrible balance, very little interactibility thanks to perpetual effects, and basically just seems like an excuse for WotCto create stupidly pushed cards that you need to use wild cards on to be competitive, nerfing those cards, and then not refunding your wildcards. Remarkable. Stability and performance -wise, the game is somehow in the worse state than in was during its "beta" period. I get crash and stutters on a high end PC. There's no way to turn off the annoying 3D particle effects that nobody asked for as well. Despite all this, WotC has clear put tons of time and effort into more pets, and assorted cosmetics. Honestly this game has one of the most egregious live-service models I have ever encountered. I'll give the game a 2 because of the rare fun back an forth matchup, but with the rampant roping, those are increasingly hard to find.… Expand
  18. MNecromancer
    Feb 3, 2020
    1
    I liked Duels because it allowed you to experiment with the new sets in a story mode, then you get a basic deck from that set that you can customize a bit now that you've played around with it. At this point I could go do drafts in real life with that basic knowledge of the set. It was a good way to get involved without having to waste a stupid amount of time and money figuring things out.I liked Duels because it allowed you to experiment with the new sets in a story mode, then you get a basic deck from that set that you can customize a bit now that you've played around with it. At this point I could go do drafts in real life with that basic knowledge of the set. It was a good way to get involved without having to waste a stupid amount of time and money figuring things out.

    I logged into Arena expecting to try out Eldraine or the new Theros, but all of my decks seem to be from Ravnica and Ixalan. I tried playing a couple of games, but I've only unlocked one booster from Theros and I'm not even close to being able to get an Eldraine. Who would ever want to grind like this? Why would you ever pay to win in a game where you could pay for the cards in real life? This is the dumbest magic game I've ever played. The 90's version had so much more game than this. Every Duels of the Planeswalker entry was 10x more satisfying than this.

    Now less than not being able to enjoy a MTG videogame, I've lost my main way of introducing myself to the sets. Duels kind of spoiled me on that. Without it, I'm just not going to go to Magic events anymore. They're kind of a waste of money unless you're already semi familiar with the content.

    Another blunder is the introduction of wild cards. They allow you to get any card you want once you earn enough points. This means that every player you play who has researched the best decks can have the most powerful cards. I enjoyed that in Duels, the players who did research and power gamed their decks had to earn them by getting the whole sets and then were relegated to the top of the ranked lists, but now everybody just gets the best cards and womps. I want to safely experiment at the lower ends of the ranks without having to deal with this kind of power gaming nonsense. It takes the organic collection out of opening packs and makes completing a set completely fruitless.    … Expand
  19. BestNoob
    May 31, 2020
    1
    Hughe inbalance caused of overpowered cards. Indirect pay2win.
    Waste of time to play.
  20. Idiolized
    Jan 28, 2020
    1
    Copy pasted from MTG Duels of the plainswalker 2009, with the exact same issues as the old games.. you can put your deck together, with all lands in stack in the pile, and still have better land draw, than this game. Example from my latest game; starting hand with 3 lands, 2 creatures, a sorcery and instant card.. in round 5, I had 7 lands 3 creatures, a sorcery and a instant card.. 2Copy pasted from MTG Duels of the plainswalker 2009, with the exact same issues as the old games.. you can put your deck together, with all lands in stack in the pile, and still have better land draw, than this game. Example from my latest game; starting hand with 3 lands, 2 creatures, a sorcery and instant card.. in round 5, I had 7 lands 3 creatures, a sorcery and a instant card.. 2 games before that I started with 3 lands.. this or the total opposite happens 1/3 games, it's really fun!

    The only positive thing here (In my opinion) is that you now can create your own deck.. Other than that they just threw away that they were the dominant company on the market, and could have been way ahead of Hearthstone, but they ended up aiming at their foot, and now they are limbing behind basicly any other card games.

    Used to love the game (paper cards), but their computer games is absolutly terrible and a waste of time. And for a end note to some review, if you play this game, doesn't mean you have "deep IQ", 95% of the decks you'll encounter is copy pasta deck, and they can barely play them properly despite guide and beeing spoon fed details.. You'll meet alot of these copy decks, so it can be quite hard in the beginning, if you don't choose to do the same..
    And if you don't play regular your cards get outdated, and you can't get rewards, so you have to pay even more to follow up, everything is evolved around Pay 2 win, since the deck they made for new players, are terrible and are made to make you want to buy packages.. That the packages are overpriced and with fewer cards that the physical package, just shows even more clearly.. On top of that every event and what not, also cost money, of course.....

    The original paper card game was awesome! This rushed, badly designed, badly coded client, they have been years to put together (Mtg Duels of the plainswalker 2009), and still can't make just a decent client, or they don't care..    … Expand
  21. Wyv
    Oct 16, 2020
    1
    Pay to win with very bad matchmaking. Good effects, good music and stuff but this is it, nothing more.
    Completely broken combos make matches boring. Just shop the right cards and you win.
    Poor game.
  22. VesperCar392
    Mar 21, 2021
    1
    If you wanna spend hundreds of dollars in order to have a meta deck for a couple of months until they release a new set or ban key cards in your deck then this is the game for you. If you like playing card games where the game openly emits rigging your draws resulting in a forced 50% win-loss ratio then this is the game for you.
  23. tutuluis
    May 9, 2020
    1
    pay to win, cartas rotas, hackers que pueden alterar el orden "aleatorio" de las cartas que le tocan a uno
  24. Zyion
    Aug 1, 2021
    1
    This game is very pay-to-win. Tried playing for several months without spending any cash on cards and I would win maybe 20% of the time against the latest sets. And most of those times were only because my opponents got mana starved early on. Wild cards, which are cards that you can spend to craft any card in the game, could easily offset this if they weren't so heavily tied to time gatesThis game is very pay-to-win. Tried playing for several months without spending any cash on cards and I would win maybe 20% of the time against the latest sets. And most of those times were only because my opponents got mana starved early on. Wild cards, which are cards that you can spend to craft any card in the game, could easily offset this if they weren't so heavily tied to time gates and opening packs. Meaning the people who benefit most from the crafting system are those who spend lots of money on the game. The system is specifically set up so that you will never be competitive unless you spend allot of money on the latest set which becomes the new meta every couple of months.

    There are several card combinations that basically guarantee a win by turn 3, 4 or 5. There are also several high cost cards that are so powerful that they can completely flip a certain loss into a win in less than a turn. Which kills any strategy the game might have had as they turn every fight into a game of chance.

    All of this is made worse when you realize that WotC has locked out the ability to review the app on mobile devices. You can't review the product unless you purchase it, but since all purchases are done through the app instead of the store, the only way you can even review the product is if WotC gives you the opportunity to review their game. Which I was only granted after spending about $60 on cosmetics and playing for 3 months strait. They have so little confidence in how fun their game actually is that they have to maintain a stranglehold on reviews in the app store. Never trust any company that does this, and never purchase stuff from companies that use anti-consumer consumer practices like this.    … Expand
  25. Admer
    Feb 3, 2020
    1
    insane donations system. don't play this shiТ............................................
  26. shinokun
    Nov 20, 2019
    1
    If you enjoy Pay2Win games. This is the game for you. Otherwise stay away. There is no way to obtain individual cards except to craft them by obtaining crafting materials by buying and open packs.Matchmaking system is the the worst part of this game. If you first start out the game, youre pretty much screwed unless you pay a butt load of money for packs. Match making and card draws arentIf you enjoy Pay2Win games. This is the game for you. Otherwise stay away. There is no way to obtain individual cards except to craft them by obtaining crafting materials by buying and open packs.Matchmaking system is the the worst part of this game. If you first start out the game, youre pretty much screwed unless you pay a butt load of money for packs. Match making and card draws arent random either. There are subsequent metacodes for each card and youre deck is scored. Draws are based of that. The devs are blatantly trying money off you… Expand
  27. WriteToLive
    Apr 24, 2019
    1
    While this game can be fun and you can get a decent deck with mostly commons and uncommon cards that can win a decent percentage of times, the grind is so bad that it's obvious this is a pay to play game. I want this game to be good, I really do. But, the paper version of the game does not do enough to support this client. They need to take a page from the Pokemon TCG and include codesWhile this game can be fun and you can get a decent deck with mostly commons and uncommon cards that can win a decent percentage of times, the grind is so bad that it's obvious this is a pay to play game. I want this game to be good, I really do. But, the paper version of the game does not do enough to support this client. They need to take a page from the Pokemon TCG and include codes in their packs (almost like they could put them on the back of tokens like they do for pre-release events?) to allow players of the paper game to actually have a better experience in game, even if it's a 1 out of every 4 packs deal or if there are codes to getting a box in Arena when you buy a box in real life. Getting gold is a grind, gems is impossible unless you pay (which is where all the good stuff is at: avatars, deck sleeve skins, card styles, etc.).
    Wizards needs to get back to what make people play the game instead of trying to gouge them for every penny they have.    … Expand
  28. LevRav
    Oct 29, 2020
    1
    As someone who's played the actual card game, this as a video game is terrible.

    The pacing is slowed by the render times and your network, yeah you need to connect to a network to play the single-player campaign mode. Also, the campaign mode is structured so poorly that it's more of a puzzle game than a card game. Let's not forget the godawful tutorial segment that YOU CAN'T OPT OUT OF.    As someone who's played the actual card game, this as a video game is terrible.

    The pacing is slowed by the render times and your network, yeah you need to connect to a network to play the single-player campaign mode.
    Also, the campaign mode is structured so poorly that it's more of a puzzle game than a card game.

    Let's not forget the godawful tutorial segment that YOU CAN'T OPT OUT OF. Seriously, I couldn't care less about a lore-based tutorial segment. I just want to learn the general mechanics of how the game plays without all the interruptions from stupid and shallow banter by an npc designed to lose.

    I have no idea what the online games/matches are like because I can't unlock enough cards through the campaign mode to even stand a chance against real players.
    Not to mention how obviously the devs want you to pay for DIGITAL cards just so you can have a possible chance of having fun in an online match.

    I will actively discourage anyone from playing this horrendous excuse for a card game. Go get TableTop Simulator! It's actually fun for a poorly optimized game and you don't have to pay money to find good games for it!    … Expand
  29. sparky176
    Feb 6, 2021
    1
    This game should not receive nearly the ranking from the official critic reviews. The true nature of this is very evident to a player of the paper version or for that matter any card game. The cards are not by any means randomly shuffled, dealt and played as in a normal card game. This version of MTG is nothing more than a good way to learn card play of the new sets coming out andThis game should not receive nearly the ranking from the official critic reviews. The true nature of this is very evident to a player of the paper version or for that matter any card game. The cards are not by any means randomly shuffled, dealt and played as in a normal card game. This version of MTG is nothing more than a good way to learn card play of the new sets coming out and their mechanics. The actual head to head game play turns into a candy Krush version of play where you just hope the right piece or card drops. It is not random. If there are any doubts read all the following reviews or speak with an actual MTG player. What a shame.… Expand
  30. Cerpin
    Mar 13, 2021
    1
    If you're sensitive to predatory game economies and love Magic the Gathering this game will hurt you deeply. I enjoyed it for quite a while, but the little insults really add up. They'll come out with interesting (enough) game modes every few weeks, but they cost just enough in game currency that it feels suffocating. You can technically earn the coins, but that income will fall offIf you're sensitive to predatory game economies and love Magic the Gathering this game will hurt you deeply. I enjoyed it for quite a while, but the little insults really add up. They'll come out with interesting (enough) game modes every few weeks, but they cost just enough in game currency that it feels suffocating. You can technically earn the coins, but that income will fall off quickly if you don't spend the coins on packs for the new sets.

    The biggest issue with this game is its dual nature. This is also a physical card game, and the prices for some in game modes seem analogous to costs irl. The problem is that irl you are obtaining a real product and forming memories in a physical space. Much of the warmth that people expect when doing something communal, like playing a fantasy card game, is absent. What's here is cold and repetitive. It's built to make you feel uncomfortable with anything you purchase. If you have memories of this game and want to revisit it this isn't how.

    I was going to give this no stars, but people with expendable incomes, or people that are willing to let wotc extort you into letting this being your only game can have a much better time. I would struggle to say the pay to win currency is generous, but it's not insulting. If you're a skilled limited player you can also get a decent ftp currency farm going. Also, it's possible to get a collection going playing ftp if you're very diligent and wait a few seasons, but honestly, your time has value, and what they ask you to spend in time is exorbitant.

    The image that the online format makes this famously overpriced card game more accessible is a mirage if you value your time, or like most people, need the money for food and shelter. If you really need free MTG. Proxy cards aren't against the law or WoTC's TOS. As long as you aren't selling them. Putting sharpy on bulk commons to play amongst friends seems like a higher barrier of entry than an online card game, but when that game is MTG Arena it's not.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PC Game of 2018
27
#27 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    100
    An excellent and faithful conversion of the iconic card game into a very welcoming computer free-to-play form. This is a hit. [Issue#300]
  2. Vandal
    Dec 18, 2019
    90
    This is the definitive Magic experience on PC. It’s free-to-play, but it’s incredibly well balanced and lets us enjoy it without hassle. If you enjoy card-based games, give it a try.
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  3. GameSpace
    Dec 6, 2019
    80
    Magic: The Gathering Arena is an excellent entry point into the twenty-six-year-old franchise for new players and lovable for veteran players as well. While it’s generally a very fun experience, it’s not without technical issues.
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