Magic the Gathering Arena is not a completely new concept. Instead it is an offshoot of Magic Online and is similar to the game Hearthstone. One thing to think about is how is this new way to play the game we love affects the paper game.

Could Magic move to an online game?

Will paper become an afterthought?

Of course, there are great things about both Magic the Gathering Arena and paper Magic. Right now and for the foreseeable future, paper Magic and Magic the Gathering Online are the only ways to play older formats. Magic Arena is a new way to play the game with a beautiful interface with the possibility to play it for free.

Magic the Gathering Arena is very easy to get. Just download the game FOR FREE and start playing Magic from home. Magic the Gathering Arena suffers from missing the interactive aspect of the game and it also removes the aspect of trading. A deck that might cost $100 in paper might take more than $100 to get on Magic Arena because you have to open online packs that give you random cards and some wild cards, which is really what you need to build a deck on Magic Arena.

It might take a long time, but with Magic Arena you can get the deck you desire for free or for a low cost. After playing arena I conclude that it is a beautiful game, and it is a lot of fun. The game has sometimes stifled my desire to go to a store to draft, which could be a problem because this means that local game stores are losing sales. However, it also has piqued my interest in standard decks.

Wizards is not planning to make older formats available in Arena, which means that people might move to paper or MTGO to play older Magic. All of this, however, is subject to change and Magic Arena is changing and improving. Eventually, there is a possibility that Magic Arena will become the main part of Magic the Gathering.

MTGA not offering Modern could serve as a gateway for new players to the paper world, but it could also be an indication that Wizards is looking to focus even less than they already are on older formats. Arena is a great way to get people excited about playing the game and it is working. Not only is it presentable, but it is also fun to watch people play MTGA online platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

Are people actually moving to paper Magic or are they sticking with Arena? Once we know that we can better conclude how MTGA is affecting paper Magic. If it is bringing in new people that is key for paper and paper prices because eventually if there are not enough new players as more cards are printed some will fall out of favor and drop in value. New players are what causes the game to succeed, and all indications are that MTGA is great for attracting new players.

I have met many that have relearned the game through MTGA and I’ve also met people who found out about Magic through MTGA. Worst case scenario is that MTGA is another way Wizards can make money which could be invested in the paper product line. I feel like one thing that could be improved is having more codes that get you from Arena to paper. For example, they could have more pushed advertisements where you can win 12 packs or even a free draft at a local game store. In my opinion, MTGA is a great thing for Magic the Gathering, and I don’t think it will destroy paper.