Last July, Konami announced its plans to bring the full Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game to just about every gaming platform in existence, including mobile. This digital interpretation of the physical card game is known as Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, and the game landed on consoles and PC two weeks ago. Of course, mobile was the odd man out (when isn't this the case), and even though a few select territories saw the mobile release last week, today is the official mobile launch, which means Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is finally available on Android and iOS as a free-to-play release.

If you've never heard of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel or the physical Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, the above release trailer offers a brief overview of Master Duel and its features. As you can see, this is clearly a trading card game, and it aims to be the definitive edition of the game, which is why it offers the ruleset from the physical TCG.

First and foremost, Master Duel supports cross-play, which means you can duel against your friends no matter their platform of choice, and seeing that the game is available on Steam, Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and now mobile; there's a wealth of platforms to choose from. Beyond the cross-play is cross-progression, which means you can pick up and play on any platform you like without losing any progress. Best of all, you can play offline, and there's a solo mode for those interested in the game's story, which also makes for a great way to brush up on the title's gameplay before testing your skills online.

Here's a shortlist of what you can expect from the game:

  • The Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG/TCG Master Rules
  • Tutorial and Duel Strategy modes to help new players learn how to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG
  • Campaigns based around Deck Types, featuring story sequences that tell the lore of the cards
  • Cross-platform online play – play friends and challengers online, whatever system you’re on
  • Cross-platform save data access – continue your experience from one system to another
  • Unlock over 10,000 cards* and other rewards by playing through the game
  • Card crafting - disassemble unwanted cards to help you generate new cards
  • Customize your experience with ‘mate’ companions, card protectors, game mats and more
  • Extensive Deck-building features and resources, including a massive database of Deck Lists

Like almost all TCGs, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is free-to-play, which means it contains in-app purchases. These range up to $79.99 per item and exist to purchase in-game currency, otherwise known as Gem Packs. These Gems are what you'll use to purchase card packs as well as other items. While you can also earn Gems by playing the game, those that pay will have the advantage of unlocking new cards quicker, and anyone is free to spend their way to success to build the perfect deck, which ultimately means the game is pay-to-win.

Still, even though Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is technically pay-to-win doesn't mean there isn't fun to be had. Thanks to the solo mode, you don't even have to go online, and if you have a few buddies to play with online, everyone can agree to play fairly without emptying their wallets. So if you'd like to take a look at the latest and greatest Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG to come to mobile, you can grab the install from the Play Store widget below.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Developer: KONAMI
Price: Free
4.2
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