Konami Reveals Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Gameplay And Details

After Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel was announced last year, Konami has lifted the lid on what we can expect from the digital card game, Yu-Gi-Oh's version of MTG Arena


Published: July 20, 2021 9:21 AM /

By:


Two players dueling one another in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

Konami has revealed the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel gameplay, along with some details about the game. It was originally announced last year, but now we know what shape the online digital card game is going to take and what it'll offer to players.

What will Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel gameplay be like?

This news comes via Konami's Yu-Gi-Oh! Digital Next presentation. In the Master Duel segment, Konami describes the game as "a digital card game that lets you play the Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG/TCG". As the name implies, it'll use the Master Rules set of the original card game, with senior producer Kenichi Kataoka describing the game as "online Yu-Gi-Oh! for both players and audiences". The devs don't recommend Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel if you're new to the game; it's for OCG/TCG enthusiasts, as opposed to other Yu-Gi-Oh! games, which are more character-driven.

The El Shaddoll Construct card in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel will aim to present an accurate version of the original card game, and will be pitched mainly at enthusiasts.

Despite Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel's focus on existing players, Kataoka says it will include a tutorial for new players if they want to check it out. However, he says he and the team recommend Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links if you're new to the card game. Additionally, he says you should play Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution if you're after a more narrative-driven adventure in the world of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and manga. The team is also planning to implement tournaments at casual and professional levels, with a view to including Master Duel as an official event at the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel doesn't have a release date yet, but it's coming to pretty much every major platform.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel is coming to the West

It's not just Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel that fans of the card-battling anime and manga have to look forward to. During the Digital Next presentation, we also learned that Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel is on its way to the West. It's a more casual iteration of the card game based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens anime series, and will allow players to use multiple cards and summons to turn the tables on each other. Rush Duel is headed West in fall this year, with the Japanese version landing next month. It's intended to be appealing to players of all ages and skill levels, so even if you're a casual card fan, you should like this one.

Gameplay for Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel
Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel is headed West this year, and will serve as a more casual introduction to the card game.

Lastly, the Digital Next presentation teased a brand new project. Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel is described as "a new four-player card battle", with the phrase "Friend or Foe?" also appearing on-screen during its announcement. We don't know too much more about this one yet, but we'll likely get a first glimpse at gameplay before too long. Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel is scheduled to launch for iOS and Android devices worldwide, although we don't have a release window yet. Watch this space.

Are you excited for these new Yu-Gi-Oh! projects? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Joe Allen's profile picture
| Senior Writer

Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph