With the English version of Magic: The Gathering Arena currently in Closed Beta phase, China’s gaming juggernaut Tencent announced it has signed a publishing deal with Wizards of the Coast to bring the PC online TCG to China. With competitor NetEase flourishing with Hearthstone and the upcoming launch of Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, Tencent is looking to grab a share of the online TCG market share with Magic: The Gathering Arena.
Touted as the game to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Magic: The Gathering, over 17,000 cards have been created by Wizards of the Coast since the beginning (1993) to the recent Ixalan expansion. Of course, the gaming giant has grand plans to promote Magic: The Gathering Arena as a major esports title. The partnership also includes publishing of future games based on Magic: The Gathering on mobile devices, PC, and console platforms.
