'Magic: Legends' Developer Promises To Ease Monetization

The recent launch for the open beta of “Magic: Legends” has welcomed a wave of players to the new isometric action RPG from Perfect World Games, and player reception has been generally mixed.

Apart from reported frame rate issues, the game’s monetization scheme has proven to be a large pain point for its audience. “Magic: Legends” has a convoluted in-game currency system that involves 13 different types of currencies players will have to earn through game activities.

Not only does this exacerbate the game’s grind, but it also puts up an unnecessarily large paywall behind the game’s most coveted items. “Magic: Legends” uses a booster pack system that’s similar to random rolls in gacha games. Each pack has a chance to contain random prizes.

One of the biggest rewards locked behind booster packs is the Dimir Assassin class. This class is exclusive to the premium booster packs that can only be purchased using real money. This monetization choice has caused community backlash, with comments saying that this sort of tactic is simply too much.

“Magic: Legends” developer Cryptic Studios addressed this unrest by making the Dimir Assassin class a reward for both free and premium battle pass tracks, PC Gamer reported. Additionally, game producer Steve Ricossa told the news outlet that Cryptic is “committed to working with [players] to continue to refine monetization further.”

Ricossa did not announce any other changes to any of the existing monetization elements, but the game may receive changes related to how cards are acquired outside of booster pack purchases or how the game’s many currencies are acquired.

However, monetization isn’t the only problem plaguing “Magic: Legends.” The player community at r/MagicLegends has constantly criticized the game’s difficulty for being too easy, along with its stingy loot drops, weekly mana caps and numerous bugs that affect items.

The unique spell deck mechanic was criticized for being pointless as the random card drawing incentivized indiscriminate spell-slinging with little regard for tactics or strategy. It also makes classes like the Beastmaster wildly inconsistent due to the nature of companions.

“Magic: Legends” is still only in open beta, and certain gameplay elements may be changed based on the developer’s discretion and community feedback.