GENERAL Q&A

WHEN IS MTG ARENA LAUNCHING ON MOBILE?

The early access for MTG Arena on Android mobile devices is currently planned for January 28, 2021 with the release of Kaldheim. It will be available on iOS, additional Android devices, and tablets later this year.

WHEN WILL IT BE AVAILABLE ON THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE?

We will be releasing the app on January 28 as part of our scheduled maintenance. It may take some time (up to several hours) for it to appear on the Google Play store, and it may appear in some regions before others.

For more information, please refer to the MTG Arena Status Page.

EARLY ACCESS?

Early access, open testing—in other words, this isn't even our final form! Our initial release for Android mobile devices is aimed at players who can meet our planned "recommend specs," which will require players to have access to a newer/higher-end device.

Mobiles devices that exceed our recommend specs will work as well, and we're aiming to lower some of these requirements (e.g., "minimum specs") alongside additional performance improvements when we fully release on Android, tablets, and iOS later this year.

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?

Starting on January 28, you'll be able to download and play MTG Arena by searching for it on the Google Play store. Once you find the listing, you can install and use the app!

WHAT'S THE APP CALLED?

Magic: The Gathering Arena! You can also search for MTG Arena.

WHEN WILL YOU BE RELEASING ON IOS?

Our goal is to release on additional devices as soon as we're ready. We want fans to have fun, enjoyable experiences with the long-awaited mobile version of Magic, and we want to make sure our releases are polished and ready to play.

You should expect to learn more about what's next for our mobile launch plans with the release of Strixhaven.

WHAT FEATURES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE ANDROID EARLY ACCESS?

Almost everything currently available in MTG Arena! This includes all the current card sets (yes, Kaldheim, too), formats, events, mastery system, direct challenge, deck building, daily deals, etc.

It's probably easier to list the things that won't be supported for the Android Early Access:

• Social features (Friends List, In-Game Messaging)
• Sideboarding during draft
  • You will not be able to sideboard during the drafting portion of Draft events (Premier, Quick, and Traditional Draft); all the cards you draft will appear as part of your mainboard list until the draft is complete and you begin deck building.
  • We will add the ability to sideboard during an in-progress draft later.
• Code redemption
  • Codes can be redeemed by using the PC/macOS client, or through the Wizards Account web page.
  • If you redeem a code through the Wizards Account web page, you will need to navigate to the in-game store for the items to appear on your account.

DOES THIS INCLUDE CROSS-PLATFORM SUPPORT?

Yep! Whether you're playing on PC, macOS, or mobile—if you sign into your Wizards Account, you will have access to your collection, be able to complete quests, earn daily win progress, matchmake against other players, etc. regardless of platform.

WILL THE ANDROID EARLY ACCESS BE OPEN TO EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE?

Android early access will be available everywhere MTG Arena and the Google Play store are currently available, for all players with a compatible device. Additionally, we will be supporting the following languages on mobile devices (hint: it's all the ones we currently support):

• English
• French
• Italian
• German
• Spanish
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Russian
• Korean
• Japanese

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD EXPECT WHEN PLAYING DURING THE ANDROID EARLY ACCESS?

Players should expect a full Magic gameplay experience, with various UX/UI changes to support the smaller screen size and touch controls (you'll literally tap your lands to add mana to your mana pool).

There are a few performance areas we plan to optimize before we launch on additional mobile devices, however, if there are situations or game states that seem especially taxing on your phone's resources (including battery life), please let us know!

Beyond that, all feedback and bug reports are appreciated.

HOW DO I REPORT BUGS/PROVIDE FEEDBACK?

Players can report any bugs or feedback related to playing on mobile devices, here.

TECHNICAL Q&A

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMEND* SPECS?

Android Version: 6.0 (Marshmallow) or newer
RAM: 4GB or more
Graphics API: OpenGL ES 3.0
Texture Compression: ETC2

Required Chipsets

• Kirin 970 -or-
• Snapdragon 845 -or-
• Exynos 9810

*Mobiles devices that exceed the recommend specs will work as well.

WHAT ARE THE SUPPORTED DEVICES?

Important Note: Due to the wide variety and variability of Android devices, we are unable to provide a comprehensive list of supported devices. Below is a sample list of known supported devices, assuming standard configuration. Please refer to your phone's software and system information when checking for compatibility.

Additionally, we currently do not support 4:3 device resolutions.

SUPPORTED DEVICES

WILL UPDATES TO MTG ARENA REQUIRE A FULL GAME APP RE-DOWNLOAD?

We do not anticipate you needing to re-download the full game to receive updates. Most of our game updates will be differential (you'll only need to download things that are new or have been changed).

ACCOUNT Q&A

WHAT PERMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED TO LAUNCH AND USE THE APP?

You do not need to grant Magic: The Gathering Arena any special permissions (e.g., location, access to microphone/camera, etc.) in order to play.

CAN I BE LOGGED INTO BOTH THE MOBILE AND DESKTOP APPS AT THE SAME TIME?

Players may only be logged into one device at a time. If you are already logged in and connect to a new platform, you will be disconnected from your current device.

IF I CHANGE AN ACCOUNT SETTING ON THE MOBILE APP, WILL IT ALSO CHANGE ON THE DESKTOP VERSION (OR VICE VERSA)?

Most account and gameplay settings are tied to your account, while others are saved locally—you may have experienced this already if you play on multiple PCs (such as a desktop and a laptop, or Windows and macOS).

Don't worry—your decklists and collection are tied to your account and will be available regardless of which platform you play on.

MAGIC ESPORTS

CAN I COMPETE IN MAGIC ESPORTS EVENTS ON MOBILE?

We do not recommend competing in Magic Esports events on a mobile device, and per the Digital Magic Tournament Rules, players who choose to do so assume all responsibility for gameplay or connection issues they experience.

For all other questions related to tournament play, head over to Magic.gg for more info or reach out to @MagicEsports on Twitter.

GAMEPLAY Q&A

DO I NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET TO PLAY ON MOBILE?

An internet connection is required to download and play MTG Arena. This can be done using cellular or Wi-Fi.

HOW DOES ATTACKING AND BLOCKING WORK?

During the declare attackers step, tap the creatures you wish to attack with. When declaring blockers, tap the creature you wish to block with, then tap the creature you intend to block.

HOW DO I ENABLE OR DISABLE AUTO-TAP?

You can enable or disable auto-tap through the gameplay settings during a match. You can access the gameplay settings by tapping the cog wheel in the top-right corner of the battlefield.

HOW DO I ENABLE OR DISABLE FULL CONTROL?

Tap and hold your player avatar to enable or disable full control.

HOW DO I USE EMOTES AND/OR MUTE MY OPPONENT?

Tap your avatar to use emotes. Tap your opponent's avatar to mute them.