Details Emerge For 'Magic: The Gathering Arena' Stress Test, Beta

Last month Wizards of the Coast announced Magic: The Gathering Arena, a new, digital version of the long-running trading card game. It’s still in its early development stages, but the company will begin player tests as early as next month, according to a new post from Wizards of the Coast.

Prior to the closed beta's launch, the studio will hold a stress test session so it can adequately prepare for the amount of expected players to join in the first round of previews. If you signed up for the closed beta, you could be selected to help out with the stress test as well, so keep an eye on your inbox for an invite . Wizards said the test will involve “smaller pools of players in the thousands, rather than the hundreds of thousands.”

Depending on the outcome of the stress test, the developers might need more time to squash bugs and fix problems before the beta begins. However, if all goes well in the next few weeks, it could start as early as November 30. Wizards will send out the first round of invites to those who helped out in the stress and alpha testing periods. It will then send more invitations to priority access players, but the number of entrants will be based on “server requirements and features.”

If you do get into the beta, expect numerous updates to core features and constant reminders to provide feedback about your experience (after all, you’re helping with the development process). The studio also said that it plans to add more cards, specifically from the “Kaladesh” and “Amonkhet” lineup, during the beta so you have even more ways to beat your opponents. However, you’ll just have cards from the “Ixalan” block to use when creating your decks at the beginning of the beta.

Because it’s a beta session, your progress, which includes wins and obtained cards, won’t transfer to the final version. The company hasn’t determined an end date for the beta so your time with it could be over in a couple of weeks or a few months.

Unlike Magic Online and Magic Duels, Magic: The Gathering Arena will only feature cards from the new “Ixalan” set and onward. If you want to use cards from older sets in a digital format, your best bet is to use the other two titles. For the foreseeable future, Magic: The Gathering Arena will be exclusive to the PC, but it will expand to more platforms “when it’s ready.” You can still sign up for the closed beta on the game's website.