Magic: The Gathering Arena Producer Chris Cao on bringing MTG Arena to mobile

Magic: The Gathering Arena can now be played all over the world, anytime, anywhere. Today, Magic: The Gathering Arena is available globally on mobile platforms. MTG Arena is free to download on Android and iOS, and players can use their existing Wizards Account to access their full MTG Arena collection on mobile. All card sets (including the latest Kaldheim set), formats, events and decks are available on mobile, and the game is cross-play with PC and Mac too.

The seemingly massive growth of MTG Arena has driven Magic to its new mobile platform. Chris Cao, the Executive Producer at Wizards of the Coast, has detailed the popularity of MTG Arena in a press release. So, we wanted to understand this growth and dive a little deeper on MTG Arena for mobile. We got in touch with Cao to find out more about MTG Arena’s launch on new platforms.

Chris Cao talks accessibility

According to his LinkedIn profile, Cao has been working on MTG Arena for nearly four and a half years. Before that, he worked at Zynga and Sony, so he’s been involved in the games industry for a long time. When we asked Cao about being involved with MTG Arena, he said the best thing has been seeing the evolution of the game:

“I get to be involved in the continued evolution of Magic. The game has existed for over 27 years now and continues to innovate with new platforms and formats. Arena has brought the game to a whole new audience of digitally oriented players.”

Bringing MTG Arena to a whole new audience is part of the reason the game is now available on mobile. Cao says having Magic on mobile brings “extra convenience and accessibility” to those who want to play. It’s not just about bringing in new players though. Cao also says the mobile launch gives current players a new way to play:

“The goal is definitely to make Magic more widely available in terms of both accessibility for existing players as well as an additional platform offering for newer players. Mobile gaming opens up an entirely new demographic of players that we know will enjoy Magic now that they have access. For those already on Arena, a new platform simply gives them more chances to play whenever is convenient.”

The most exciting thing about Magic on mobile

When a game is made available on a new platform, existing players are often excited. They like the idea of being able to play their favourite games somewhere new, especially when it involves gaming-on-the-go. We wanted to know if this is true for MTG Arena. So, we asked Cao what the most exciting thing about having magic on mobile is:

“The immediate thing that comes to mind is accessibility. Entire Magic collections can now be stored in players’ pockets and games can be played anywhere, anytime, with people from all around the world!”

He encourages players new and old, to take a dive into MTG Arena. It promises to be true to its existing form on PC and Mac:

“The mobile app design is true to Arena in its PC form. As a result, the game should be a blast for both old and new players as Arena is design with both experiences in mind.” Cao said.

Get MTG Arena on mobile today

MTG Arena is now available to download via the App Store, or Google Play. We have been lucky enough to try it out on Android and it’s certainly worth a go. It’s easy enough to log into an existing account, or create a new one. From there, current players will be familiar with the MTG Arena layout, while newer players will be greeted with a welcome tutorial system. If you do log into MTG Arena on mobile, you also have the chance to win a special prize.