Magic: The Gathering has released the April patch notes for the latest version of Magic: The Gathering Arena. This newest version’s release coincides with the debut of new Standard-legal set Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths on the digital platforms. The patch delivers a range of much-awaited features and quality-of-life improvements that gamers have been requesting for ages and we’ve got the highlights of the notes ready for you to check out below.
Certainly, the update‘s headliner is the release of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. The new set features over 274 new cards legal in Magic‘s various Constructed formats. Ikoria draws heavily from monster movie themes and even boasts a tie-in with Toho Co., the owner of the Godzilla media franchise. Players can build the biggest Magic monster ever using the new mechanics Mutate and Keyword Counters.
Just as important for many fans, however, is the debut of pod drafts on Arena. As a result of this update, players on Arena can now draft their 40-card decks with seven others. Previously, Arena users could only draft with A.I. personalities while the game’s developers focused on improving other aspects of the experience.
Two Draft modes are available for players who can’t wait to draft with other human beings again. Traditional Draft mode costs 1,500 gems or 10,000 gold and features three best-of-three matches. Undefeated players will get a whopping 3,000-gem prize alongside six packs. The new Premier Draft is Ranked and features best-of-one matches ending at seven wins or three losses, and costs 1,500 gems or 10,000 gold to enter. Players can break even at five wins, earning 1,600 gems and three packs.
Arena‘s best-of-one Ranked Draft queues with bots will soon be replaced with Quick Draft mode. While the other Draft modes will stay with Ikoria until June, Quick Mode’s format will rotate bi-weekly.
The Arena developers also announced that players who enter the two new Draft modes as well as Sealed queues will receive free Godzilla Monster Series card styles until May 21st.
The patch notes wrapped up with an update on Arena‘s FNM @ Home program, which Wizards of the Coast introduced to support local game stores in the wake of COVID-19. The devs also introduced card UI improvements aimed at making tooltips, counters, and ability descriptions less intrusive on the battlefield.
Excitingly, the announcement also mentioned that Magic: the Gathering Arena will debut on mobile this year, as well as on macOS soon.