Magic Legends has been in open beta for a few months now, and hype for the game is building among fans of the collectible card game franchise thanks to frequent communication and updates from the development team. In addition to almost weekly state-of-the-game updates, there have also been very significant patches that squash bugs and make quality-of-life improvements to prove the team is listening carefully to player feedback.
As the game continues to grow, players will soon be traveling to Benalia for Act Four. From that corner of the multiverse, Magic Legends players will continue tracking a source who may know more about the ancient force that has arisen. With some big updates on the way to the ARPG, Game ZXC recently took some time to sit down with Magic Legends senior writer Winter “Winwin” Mullenix.
Game ZXC: Although some Magic lore and mythology is explored in novels and blog posts, a lot of it lives right on the cards. How does the team go about researching and familiarizing themselves with the Multiverse canon?
Mullenix: Our team largely consists of long-time fans of the card game. For this reason, much of our shared knowledge is foundational in nature and includes a basic awareness of the existing card quotes. I literally cannot count the number of times a pertinent card quote has popped up during a meeting. We have a comprehensive collection of cards and books in our studio for reference, and we use both in tandem regularly to familiarize ourselves with the more granular details.
We also work very closely with Wizards of the Coast to ensure that our game’s narrative works within the existing canon. If we have a question about a quote’s context and how it fits into a canonical story arc, we don’t hesitate to ask. Their creative team has been tremendously helpful!
Game ZXC: What characters might be introduced during Act Four of the game?
Mullenix: Two major characters take a front and center role with the new update. One of these characters is a classic that many longtime fans will recognize, and the other is brand-new. Without giving away any spoilers, players will learn more about the mysterious Planeswalker introduced alongside Ral Zarek in the Meditation Realm.
Our first major post launch story arc will explore the relationship between these two characters and their motivations. We created this new Planeswalker in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast, so we hope you’ll see her as a card one day!
Game ZXC: What other planeswalkers and characters have you been itching to play around with that appear in the game's future but haven't shown up yet?
Mullenix: There are several characters we would love to bring into the game and explore. Members of the Gatewatch are a given with the exception of Nissa Revane who has already been introduced in Magic Legends. Other Planeswalkers I’d absolutely love to bring into the Magic: Legends fold are Karn, Niko, Kaya, Nahiri, Tamiyo, Oko, Aminatou, Tezzeret, Rowan and Will … I could go on, but we have plans to introduce as many of them as we can over time!
Game ZXC: Outside of characters, a lot of Magic lore is tied to items (like Sol Ring or Sword of Feast and Famine); what items from multiverse lore have helped inspire this part of your storybuilding process?
Mullenix: With the starting story, I can cite three items that served as pointed inspiration: the Damping Sphere, the Hedron Matrix, and the Khalni Heart. Since we’re just beginning to weave our story into the larger tapestry of the Magic Multiverse, many of the items players see will be brand new.
We are always paying attention to the items and the lore surrounding them. In the long term, we hope to incorporate a considerable number of them into Magic Legends.
Game ZXC: Obviously location is very important to lore as well, what did your team do in terms of writing to help bring Benalia to life? What main characteristics define the zone?
Mullenix: The question of when something is happening is foremost in our minds when creating and writing for a new piece of content. Regional context changes greatly dependent upon that key factor. From there, we ask ourselves which colours of mana currently inform or previously informed the theme of said region.
Extrapolating from there, the story of Magic: Legends begins sometime after the Great Mending of Dominaria. The Cabal has encroached into the idyllic, golden countryside of Benalia. While Serra’s legacy lingers on as a source of hope, the Cabal’s impact is both explicitly visible and pervasive. The stained glass motifs and sun-drenched fields that serve as the backdrop cannot protect the people from the actual threat the Cabal brings - and that sense of dread informs the overarching story.
With some of that basic set dressing in mind, we asked ourselves what the state of Benalia would be. Which characters would be available to highlight that story as effectively as possible? Working alongside Wizards, we landed on Josu Vess, Whisper, Danitha Capashen, Rafwyn Capashen, and Lyra Dawnbringer as the primary characters for Benalia’s starting story.
Game ZXC: Does the story in Benalia help set up hints about where planeswalkers might head to next? If so, any hints you can share?
Mullenix: I recommend reading all of the dialogue in the Act Four quest very closely. There’s nothing else I can share just yet, but there are some clues!
Game ZXC: What else would you like us to know about Magic Legends or its upcoming content?
Mullenix: In addition to the Act Four content, our newest update features improvements to game performance, a quicker tutorial experience, and the brand-new Pyromancer class which players can claim for free. It’s one of my favorite classes so far, and believe me, there are more where that came from!
It sounds like there are some very exciting things on the horizon for beta testers and hopefully more news will arrive soon about additional content and a full launch in the near future. There is still no full release date available for the game and it's unclear exactly when the Xbox and PlayStation versions are going to be available. Hopefully PC and console gamers can see a full release sometime in late 2021.
[END]
Magic Legends is available now as an open beta on PC, and releases fully in 2021 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
