Shadowverse

Last updated
Shadowverse
Shadowverse.jpg
Developer(s) Cygames
Publisher(s) Cygames
Composer(s) Yoshihiro Ike
Engine Unity
Platform(s) iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS
ReleaseiOS, Android
  • WW: June 17, 2016
Windows, macOS
  • WW: October 28, 2016 [1]
Genre(s) Collectible card game
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Shadowverse is a digital collectible card game developed and published by Cygames. It was released free-to-play for iOS and Android devices in June 2016. [2] macOS and Windows versions were released in October 2016. [1]

Contents

Shadowverse employs an anime art style with some illustrations reused from the developer's previous title, Rage of Bahamut , [3] an earlier digital collectible card game released in 2012. The game has been compared favorably with Hearthstone (2014), a difference being that Cygames sought to minimize the impact of randomness on match outcomes. Another difference is Shadowverse's "Evolve" game mechanic which allows players to grant played cards bonus stats and effects at the cost of an evolution point. [4]

An anime television series adaptation by Zexcs aired from April 2020 to March 2021. A second anime series titled Shadowverse Flame has been announced. An RPG card game based on the anime, Shadowverse: Champion's Battle was released on the Nintendo Switch in Japan in November 2020. [5] [6] The game was released overseas on August 10, 2021.

Gameplay

Shadowverse matches are structured between two players taking turns playing cards from their deck. Each player is represented by a Leader with 20 defense and a starting hand of three cards. The player going first has two evolution points, and the player going second has three evolution points, can evolve one turn earlier, and draws an extra card at the player's first turn. The objective of the player is to reduce the other player's defense to zero or attain a win via certain cards (e.g. Enstatued Seraph or a Victory Card by playing Spartacus). Each player utilizes the Play Point resource to play cards. Both players begin at having zero play point orbs, and gain one play point orb at the beginning of the respective player's turn, up to a limit of 10. Play Point orbs are refilled at the beginning of each player's turn.

Development

New sets are added to Shadowverse at a regular interval of three months. The game launched with an initial set of Basic cards that were automatically added to new accounts or earned through the story mode, and the Standard set (now called Classic) obtained from card packs. Additionally, a number of promotional cards have been released, which were obtainable through varying methods. These cards are cosmetic replacements for existing cards; they do not have a unique gameplay function. Once every three months, one card set will be out of rotation due to the arrival of a new card set.

Starting from the Dawnbreak, Nightedge expansion, Cygames has been releasing additional mini-expansions in between each normal expansion release; these mini-expansions contain a new gold card for all eight classes and a new legendary card for all classes with the exception of Neutral. Once a mini-expansion releases, the cards from that mini-expansion are available to open in the packs of the most recent set that came before them. Just like any other cards from the regular expansions, the mini-expansion cards can also be crafted with vials.

Anime

Shadowverse had an anime television series adaptation. The series is animated by Zexcs and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, with Rintaro Isaki and Deko Akao handling series composition, Hiroki Harada designing the characters, and Yoshihiro Ike composing the series' music. [7] The series ran for 48 episodes and aired from April 7, 2020, to March 23, 2021, on TV Tokyo.

A second anime series, titled Shadowverse Flame has been released. The main staff members are returning to reprise their roles. [8]

Reception

According to Super Data in its 2017 report, Shadowverse earned over US$100 million in revenue by 2017. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game</i>

The Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game set in the Babylon 5 universe. The game is ideally set for 4-5 players but can be played with a minimum of two players up to as many as 20 if using multiple Non-Aligned Factions and Home Factions. This CCG is distinct from most others of the genre for being specifically designed to be played by more than two players. The gameplay tends to have strong political elements encouraging significant player interaction aka "table talk" which is appropriate for a game based on a series which featured such a strong element of political intrigue. During its six-year existence under the Precedence Entertainment banner it released two core sets, five expansions sets and one revision set. There were two World Championships during that time. The game still continues to have a cult following as further expansions were made available online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duel Masters Trading Card Game</span> Collectible card game

The Duel Masters Trading Card Game is a two-player or two vs. two team collectible card game (CCG) jointly developed by Wizards of the Coast and Takara Tomy. The card game is part of the Duel Masters franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantasy Flight Games</span> American game company

Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game developer based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a division of Asmodee North America.

<i>Robotech Collectible Card Game</i>

The Robotech Collectible Card Game (CCG) is an out-of-print collectible card game produced by Hero Factory that is set against the science fiction backdrop of Robotech. Cards are based on characters and mecha from this popular anime. After a limited public beta testing period, the game debuted at Anime Expo in 2006.

Gundam War: Mobile Suit Gundam the Card Game also known simply as Gundam War is an out-of-print collectible card game based on the Gundam anime series produced by Bandai. Players can simulate battles in the anime series. The game is designed for 2 players, though there may be different fan-created multiplayer rules. This game is sometimes confused with the Gundam M.S. War Trading Card Game, since both are published by Bandai and are based on the Gundam series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game</span>

The Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Dragon Ball franchise, first published by Bandai on July 18, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collectible card game</span> Game played using specialized playing cards

A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. It was introduced with Magic: The Gathering in 1993.

<i>Rage of Bahamut</i> 2011 video game

Rage of Bahamut is a digital collectible card battle game developed by Cygames and published by DeNA. It was a social card game released on Mobage's mobile game network, in Japan in 2011 and worldwide in 2012.

<i>Hearthstone</i> Digital collectible card game by Blizzard Entertainment

Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Originally subtitled Heroes of Warcraft, Hearthstone builds upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series by using the same elements, characters, and relics. It was first released for Windows and macOS in March 2014, with ports for iOS and Android released later that year. The game features cross-platform play, allowing players on any supported device to compete with one another, restricted only by geographical region account limits.

<i>My Little Pony Collectible Card Game</i> Collectible card game

The My Little Pony Collectible Card Game is a two-player collectible card game based on the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. It is produced by Enterplay LLC under license from Hasbro, and follows from Enterplay's previous work to produce a trading card series based on the same show.

Duelyst is a free and open-source digital collectible card game and turn-based strategy hybrid developed by Counterplay Games, who initially self-published the title but was later published by Bandai Namco. It had been released in an open beta period in 2015, and the full game was released on April 27, 2016. Due to declining player counts, servers for Duelyst were shut down on February 27, 2020.

<i>Plants vs. Zombies Heroes</i> 2016 video game

Plants vs. Zombies Heroes is a digital collectible card game and the sixth installment in the Plants vs. Zombies series, developed by PopCap Games and published by Electronic Arts. On March 10, 2016, it underwent a soft launch in some countries on iOS, before being internationally released on October 18, 2016. Heroes is the first mobile release in the Plants vs Zombies series in which players can play on either the Plant team or the Zombie team, with the former pursuing the latter under Crazy Dave's leadership following the Hero-Tron 3000's malfunction.

Gameplay of <i>Hearthstone</i>

Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2014, available for Microsoft Windows and macOS PCs and iOS and Android smartphones. The game is free-to-play, with players gaining in-game currency and card packs via winning matches and completing quests, while real-world money can be spent to acquire additional card packs and cosmetic items. The game has been critically well-received and financially successful, estimated in August 2017 to earn nearly US$40 million per month. As of November 2018, Blizzard has reported more than 100 million Hearthstone players. Blizzard has continued to expand the game with the addition of multiple expansions, adventures and game modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygames</span> Japanese video game developer

Cygames, Inc. is a Japanese video game development studio established in 2011 by CyberAgent. Mobile and e-commerce company DeNA acquired a 24% stake in the studio in 2012, and Nintendo acquired another 5% stake in 2018, leaving CyberAgent with 69% of the shares and as such, they are the parent company of Cygames. From its formation, the company produced mobile games, initially on the Mobage platform, and from 2013 on Android and iOS. The company headquarters is located in Tokyo while other divisions are located in Osaka and Saga in Japan and Seoul, South Korea.

<i>Eternal</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Eternal is a free-to-play online collectible card video game developed and published by Dire Wolf Digital. Eternal is available for iOS, Android, Xbox One, PCs using Steam and Nintendo Switch. The game features cross-platform play, allowing players to use any of the supported platforms to compete against each other. The game takes place in a Weird West fantasy setting. The game was in Steam early access in November 2016 and then had its official wide release in November 2018 that included support for the Xbox One. Eternal was released for the Switch on October 8, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital collectible card game</span> Video game that emulates collectible card games

A digital collectible card game (DCCG) or online collectible card game (OCCG) is a computer or video game that emulates collectible card games (CCG) and is typically played online or occasionally as a standalone video game. Many DCCGs are types of digital tabletop games and follow traditional card game-style rules, while some DCCGs use alternatives for cards and gameboards, such as icons, dice and avatars. Originally, DCCGs started out as replications of a CCG's physical counterpart, but many DCCGs have foregone a physical version and exclusively release as a video game, such as with Hearthstone.

<i>Legends of Runeterra</i> Digital collectible card game

Legends of Runeterra is a 2020 digital collectible card game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by the physical collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, the developers sought to create a game within the same genre that significantly lowered the barrier to entry. Since its release in April 2020, the game has been free-to-play, and is monetised through purchasable cosmetics. The game is available for Microsoft Windows and mobile operating systems iOS and Android.

A digital tabletop game is a video game genre that includes video games that have gameplay similar to physical tabletop games, including board games, card games, and role-playing games. Many digital tabletop games are adaptions of existing physical games into the video games, though some of these are wholly digital games that use tabletop game mechanics. There are also tabletop game simulators that allow for users to recreate tabletop games from a variety of game pieces.

<i>Shadowverse</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Shadowverse is an anime television series adaptation of its namesake video game. The series is animated by Zexcs and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, with Rintaro Isaki and Deko Akao handling series composition, Hiroki Harada designing the characters, and Yoshihiro Ike composing the series' music. The series aired from April 7, 2020, to March 23, 2021, on TV Tokyo and has been simulcast internationally on Crunchyroll. The band Penguin Research performed the first opening theme, "Kirifuda", while Yui Ogura performed the first ending theme, "Happiness Sensation". The second opening theme, "Shinsekai", was performed by FLOW, while the second ending theme, "Kokoro Darenimo", was performed by the Game Jikkyōsha Wakuwaku Band.

References

  1. 1 2 Cygames (2016-10-28). "Hit Card Battle Game SHADOWVERSE Evolves on PC via Steam" (Press release). Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  2. Alan Bradley (2016-07-29). "Is the digital CCG boom a bubble? Analysts weigh in". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  3. "シャドウバース』の今後のアップデート情報について聞く! 優木かなさんと彩瀬てかさんとともに宮下尚之氏に直撃インタビュー" [The Future of Shadowverse, Interview with Naoyuki Miyashita, Yana Kuro, and Akase Taka]. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2016-08-01. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  4. Cam Shea (2016-07-20). "The Japanese Collectible Card Game That May Just Surprise You". IGN . Archived from the original on 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  5. "Shadowverse: Champions Battle announced for Switch". Gematsu. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  6. "Shadowverse: Champion's Battle launches November 5 in Japan, debut trailer and details". Gematsu. May 28, 2020. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  7. "Shadowverse Card Battle Smartphone Game Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. October 7, 2019. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  8. "Shadowverse Gets 2nd Anime With New Protagonist". Anime News Network. October 7, 2021. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  9. "Shadowverse sales Ranking". 2021-06-30. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  10. Omer Altay (2017-01-26). "Digital CCG Genre Booming, Hearthstone Earns $395M in 2016, Shadowverse $100M". MMOs.com . Archived from the original on 2020-12-25. Retrieved 2017-02-11.