Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel gets surprise release (update: live now)
Update: The servers are now live on Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation. Original story follows.
A new app for throwing down in Yu-Gi-Oh! has had a sudden release, after being previously announced and not given a firm release date.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is a free-to-start dueling experience that follows the official rule set for tournament play of the world-renowned card game. The game was announced during a Japanese anniversary stream last year, and given a vague “Winter 2021” release window, though a release date had not yet been officially announced, and still has not been.
Master Duel features a number of options for building your deck from over 10,000 cards, including the ability to view deck lists from around the world, buy booster packs in-game using virtual currency (that is purchased for real currency — you didn’t think you’d be free from microtransactions, did you?), and a simulated first-hand draw system, which lets you hone in on what does and doesn’t work with your deck’s early play.
The game also features a story mode, a tonne of tutorials (trust me, you’ll need it) which give you a free starting deck once completed, full online multiplayer across Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, mobile, and PC, and special tournaments and events with unique rules. It also apparently links to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Neuron TCG companion app, but how this interaction works is not yet known.
Unfortunately, the servers are currently down for maintenance, and there’s no word on when they’ll actually be available, so even if you install the game, it might be a while before you can play. We’ll update this article when the switch gets flicked on. In the meantime, you can click here to download the game to your Switch from your browser.
