Magic 2015 finally lets you build decks from scratch

Have it your way

After many moons spent playing premade decks in the Duels of the Planeswalkers series, it's finally happening. The upcoming Magic 2015 entry in the franchise delivers what developer Wizards of the Coasts calls "the full deckbuilding experience." At long last, you have the power to determine the number of lands, basic or non-basic, and the number of copies of each card (up to four each) that make the cut for your 60-card deck. In other words, this is the closest that DotP has come to replicating actual Magic: The Gathering yet.

If you've played any of the previous downloadable Magic games, you should be familiar with the formula. Like its predecessors, Magic 2015 is the perfect introduction to the storied card game if you're a beginner, while still giving advanced players more than enough challenge. Your AI adversaries are as smart as you want them to be, acting as incrementally difficult roadblocks in a story that revolves around the now-corrupted Garruk Wildspeaker hunting you down. Magic 2015 starts you off with a multi-color deck of your choosing, themed with the Ravnica set in mind. Veterans will appreciate how much cleaner the interface is this time around, complete with a literal Red Zone when your creatures wade into battle.

The deckbuilder should extend Magic 2015's lifespan by a huge margin, with over 300 unique cards to choose from and microtransaction booster packs expanding your library further. For anyone who just winced, calm down--Magic: The Gathering, like any CCG, is just a series of microtransactions, so you may want to reassess your outlook. In any case, virtual cardfloppers should enjoy cooking up all kinds of unique decks once Magic 2015 releases around the same time as the newest real-life core set.

Check out the following slides for additional images and more information!

Got the makings of a great deck, but not sure how to distribute land? Just let the AI do all the tricky calculations for you. The computer can automatically determine the balance of lands that'll make your deck run smoothly

If you've always aspired to make a five-color deck in Duels of the Planeswalkers, Magic 2015 is your chance

Winning duels is still the primary method for attaining new cards; Magic 2015 will let you square off against a random set of AI opponents once you've beaten each Planes' inhabitants

Expect to see cards from the Theros block, as well as Magic 2015 Core Set newcomers

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them.