Early this morning, Might & Magic: Chess Royale popped up on the Google Play Store for pre-registration, and upon closer inspection, it would appear that this is a title designed to offer large 100-player clashes in the latest take on the auto battle genre, also known as auto chess. Clearly, Ubisoft is keen to get in on the growing auto chess trend, and so has slapped a Might & Magic skin on top of its upcoming auto battler to squeeze out as much nostalgia from the brand as possible.

As you can see in the trailer linked above, Might & Magic: Chess Royale is indeed an auto chess clone that contains a Might & Magic skin. Since the title isn't officially available yet, all we have to go on so far is the information offered on the Google Play Store listing. First and foremost, Ubisoft has made it very clear that the game will provide massive battles, where fans will fight 99 other players in real-time to see who will be the last hero standing. Of course, classic Might & Magic heroes will make up your forces in this high-fantasy universe, so expect to spend a lot of time collecting and upgrading these heroes if you want to stay competitive. Ideally, each match should only last up to ten minutes, which makes this a fitting choice if you are looking for short sessions from your auto battler.

What we don't know is when the game will be officially released, or how it will be monetized. So far, the official Facebook page for Might & Magic: Chess Royale is blank beyond a few profile pictures, though there is a dedicated subreddit, but it too looks to be dead at the moment. I was able to find a couple of gameplay videos on YouTube that date back to December, so it would appear that a closed beta (in Finland) already took place with little fanfare.

So there it is. Ubisoft will soon be jumping into the auto battle genre with Might & Magic: Chess Royale. While I can't say this is a game that appeals to me, especially since there are already more than a few auto chess games already available on the Play Store, I suppose those that are really into the genre may get a kick out of the larger battles, shorter sessions, and M&M theme. Of course it would be easier to judge the game if we knew how it will eventually be monetized, or when we should expect the official release. So as always, once we learn more, expect an update from yours truly. Until then, feel free to pre-register though the Play Store widget listed at the bottom of the page.

UPDATE: 2020/01/13 10:03am PST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

Might & Magic: Chess Royale officially coming to Android on January 30th

It looks like there was a reason Ubisoft published the pre-registration listing for Might & Magic: Chess Royale on the Play Store earlier this morning. As of this afternoon, Ubisoft has officially announced that Might & Magic: Chess Royale will be released on Android on January 30th, which is only two weeks away. An official website was also launched in the last few hours, but it doesn't mention anything that we already don't know. So sadly, there are still no details about how the game will be monetized, which is never a good sign this close to release, so it's probably safe to assume that Might & Magic: Chess Royale will land as a free-to-play title on the 30th.

Source: Ubisoft

UPDATE: 2020/01/29 7:07am PST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

Might & Magic: Chess Royale is available a day early

Two weeks ago, we learned that Ubisoft's strategic auto-battler Might & Magic: Chess Royale would be coming to Android on the 30th of January, but apparently, someone jumped the gun a little early since the game is available on the Play Store right now. Sadly, it would appear that the game is currently having issues with its servers, to the point that all Play Store reviews are negative.

Now, I was able to get past the loading screens to play my first match, and as expected, the gameplay is barely explained to the player since the game drops you into your first match with zero warning. So unless you're familiar with the mechanics of the auto chess genre, you're going to have to have a rough time starting with this release.

One thing that does strike me as odd is that there is no monetization to be found in Might & Magic: Chess Royale despite today's worldwide release, so as it stands, the game is actually free to enjoy, though somehow I doubt it will stay that way. I suppose the real question is, when will the monetization hammer drop, and how bad will it be? I guess we'll simply have to wait and see.