One of the greatest barriers to playing Magic: The Gathering has always been its complexity. Lead Designer Mark Rosewater has acknowledged this, discussing the topic at length in his "State of Design" article for 2012. While the game's intricate rules are what give it so much staying power, they also mean it can be intimidating to just pick up and play. A chess player needs only learn the rules for how pieces move and what their goal is -- everything else can come later.

In contrast, new Magic players need to learn about creatures, instants, sorceries, lands, colors of mana and turn order. All of that is usually covered in someone's first game, but it doesn't even begin to get into more complex concepts like the stack, planeswalkers or priority. Learning Magic is a process that has always required a more experienced player who is willing to coach you through it -- until the release of Arena.

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Magic: The Gathering Arena is more than just an updated take on an online client for the game. It's also a tutor for players looking to get into the hobby. Anyone can download the program and be gently walked through the processes of tapping mana and slinging spells. The computerized teacher is perfectly patient and has just as much time as players are willing to give it. It also can't make rules mistakes, which makes the process of learning the game a lot easier. There are no worries about what's needed to resolve each effect, removing a lot of the initial friction in picking up Magic.

Arena is also completely free, which makes a huge difference on trying to sell the game to others. It is far easier to convince someone on the fence to download a free program than it is to get them to spend north of $20 on a structure deck. While the game has had huge issues with its economy, it's fairly generous in terms of the amount of cards it hands out to newcomers. By the time they hit any wall in regards to the decks they want to play, they'll likely be in deep enough to consider transitioning to the game's paper version.

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All of that isn't considering the effect Arena has had on Magic during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Paper-only Magic might have seen a huge downturn in the face of a pandemic only just a few years ago, as both smaller in-store events and larger conventions become all but impossible. That alone would be a deathblow to the game's competitive scene, and casual interest would surely decline when reduced to only playing at home. Some creative players have found ways around this with setups like Spelltable, but Arena alone has offered a welcome outlet for those looking to get their Magic fix.

With all of that in mind it's no surprise that Magic not has only survived, but thrived during the pandemic, with profits increasing by 24 percent during 2020. That marks both a massive increase in sales and the game's best sales year in its 27 year history. The same earnings call that revealed this information also marked a pronounced change in the role of the game in the corporate landscape. Wizards of the Coast has been incorporated into parent company Hasbro as the "Wizards and Digital" division. While they will continue to offer paper products, this move shows just how keenly Hasbro thinks Wizards' future lies in its virtual offerings.

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Magic: The Gathering continues to increase both in financial earnings and cultural cache as more and more players flock to the decades-old game. Whether it's serving as a substitute during the pandemic or as an on-ramp for new players, Arena has cemented its place as a pillar of the game's modern strategy.

Arena's greatest weakness lies in its relative dearth of cards when compared to paper, and even that is being quickly solved by "Remastered" products that bring older sets to the game. Arena succeeds by being everything Magic isn't -- cheap, accessible and easy to learn. That's something to look forward to, especially as the game heads to mobile later this year.

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