We get an update on the next edition of Magic: The Gathering Online at Gen Con Indy 2003.
We caught up with Wizards of the Coast at Gen Con Indy 2003 for an update on Magic Online 2.0. The new version of the game will launch at retail in the form of Wizards" new "core game" product, a box that will include both the game CD and various instruction books, as well as two 40-card "starter" packs and a smaller "expansion" pack. However, these card packs will not be filled with random cards--they"ll actually be matched up with the starter cards contained on the game CD, so that players will essentially have the exact same cards both offline and online. The version 2.0 client is scheduled to go live around 12:00 AM on Monday morning in preparation for the formal launch of the 8th Edition of Magic: The Gathering"s "basic" card set, which will be available in paper cards at that time, and for sale at the online magic store at 9:00 AM Pacific. The new set will feature about 350 additional cards, including many of what Wizards representatives described as "old favorites," including the Rukh Egg card and the Royal Assassin card. The online client itself already supports the recently released "Scourge" expansion pack set, and will eventually support the upcoming "Onslaught" expansion set--a set composed entirely of creature spells.