Magic: The Gathering fans and newcomers will soon be able to planeswalk across the multiverse in a brand new way in the upcoming action RPG video game Magic: Legends. Developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Perfect World Entertainment (the companies behind Star Trek Online and Neverwinter), Magic: Legends lets players create a new Planeswalker to embark on a new adventure. But the planes are hardly uninhabited. Other Planeswalkers roam the realms, including some well-known among Magic: The Gathering players, as well as legendary beings with their measure of strength. Magic: Legends Planeswalkers will encounter several of these historical figures as they make progress along their quest.
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Ahead of the game’s open beta launch in March, ComicBook.com spoke to Winter “Winwin” Mullenix, the Senior Writer for Magic: Legends, via email about how these figures from Magic: The Gathering history, including Nissa Revane, Ral Zarek, and Josu Vess fit into Magic: Legends and how players can interact with them.
What role do other Planeswalkers and Legendary beings play in Magic: Legends? Safe to say they make good video game bosses?
Established Planeswalkers from Magic: The Gathering will be seen as both allies and foes in Magic: Legends. There may even be a few surprises in there that players can look forward to! The important thing to keep in mind is that known Planeswalkers have complex backgrounds and stories, they form allegiances and friendships that shift naturally over time. Sometimes those relationships turn into flat-out rivalries.
As we release updates, players can expect to see their friendships and alliances with characters shift based upon whatever may be taking place at that time. Everyone is an individual with an agenda and personal goals to achieve. Legendary Creatures will run a similar gamut, while others may even be seen as summoning spells.
How do iconic Planeswalkers in-game compare to the player planeswalker? Might a player see Ral Zarek (traditionally a Red-Blue Planeswalker) using the same powers and abilities as the Geomancer and/or Mind Mage? Or Nissa Revane using Beastcaller powers?
Players will experience a unique story arc that begins with their very first planeswalk. The mysteries and deeper stories surrounding that will continue to unfold over time, but they are Planeswalkers in the end. The key difference here is that player characters are malleable in style whereas the other Planeswalkers come with a defined history and sometimes a defined future. It is very important to us that we remain faithful to these existing story arcs, so notable Planeswalkers’ abilities will not shift as quickly or regularly as the player’s Planeswalker.
To further explain, the player experience is highly customizable. The power players can wield at any time depends upon their choices of Class, Artifacts, Equipment, and Spells. That said, our classes were inspired by notable Planeswalkers. Players can expect to see classes with abilities that take influence from classics like Ral Zarek and Nissa, and they can expect to have some summons in common with them.
With as many notable Planeswalkers and Legendary beings as the Magic multiverse canon now contains, what was the process of selecting which to include in Magic: Legends like?
The Multiverse does contain an impressive number of Planeswalkers and Legendaries, but it comes down to their place in the timeline and their personal agendas. For example, our story begins after the Great Mending of Dominaria, well before the War of the Spark takes place. We worked with Wizards of the Coast to identify which characters would be available at key points in times, and then we wove stories around the existing narratives in a cohesive fashion. Future content will undergo a similar process to ensure the connective tissue remains faithful to the underlying and surrounding source material.
Speaking of process, what was it like writing these characters? How involved, if at all, was Wizards of the Coast?
The process of writing for the characters involves a lot of study. Many of us on the team are longtime fans of the IP, so we have read the stories, and we have all the books available for review. Additionally, we work closely with Wizards of the Coast to ensure the tone, presentation, and story arcs of a character serve the origins and goals of each character.
As for the writing process, I put myself in the character’s headspace and ask myself what my motivations are. How would my feelings shift, and how would my reactions present themselves to others in the given circumstances? From there, I write, iterate, review the content in play, rewrite again if necessary, and play through again to make sure I’m doing the character justice.
At this point, Magic lore is incredibly wide-ranging. What did you find necessary to bring to the game out of everything, and what do you think isn’t needed in the jump to video games?
Ultimately, our goal is to capture the strategic excitement of the card game while also delivering on the Planeswalker power fantasy. We want players to see what it feels like to actually be a Planeswalker, to travel through the Blind Eternities, and explore different planes of existence.
Delivering on such epic stories requires quite a bit of set dressing, so we take a holistic view of characters, places, card game mechanics, stories, and timelines. Notable characters are translated from the source material, and the mechanics of our game are inspired by the tabletop game itself. Nothing goes without consideration, so I would say everything is needed to effectively translate the experience to an action RPG.
On that note, each plane is a setting in and of itself. Our art team went to great lengths to capture the feel of each area in a way that makes everything else stand out in a cohesive manner. Tazeem feels like the lush jungle continent described in the stories and shown on the cards, and the province of Gavony is actually filled to the brim with gothic horror and intrigue. When it comes down to it, everything is important. Without a solid backdrop or mechanics, we wouldn’t be able to effectively convey a proper story or play experience.
Do you have a favorite Planeswalker or Planeswalkers to write? And if so, which ones and why?
It is very hard to play favorites in such an expansive Multiverse. Since I put myself into the character’s headspace when writing for them, I genuinely enjoy the experience that comes with writing for every Planeswalker. If I had to commit to one Planeswalker for the story arc players will see starting in Open Beta, I’d have to say Ral Zarek. His storyline is one we can all relate to, one of goals, triumphs, and struggles that anyone can appreciate. In his particular case, he developed a brilliant swagger and tone that are genuinely a joy to write for. Nissa has also been wonderful to write for. Like Ral, her origin story is infinitely relatable, covering topics ranging from rejection, regret, and a sense of duty.
I don’t want to give away too much just yet, but I will say I also have a list of Planeswalkers I’m excited to write for in the future as well. You’ll have to hop into the Multiverse and find out how we weave them into the grand tapestry of the Magic Multiverse.
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Magic: Legends begins Open Beta on Arc Games, with new exclusive items, and the Epic Games Store on March 23rd. Players can sign up at PlayMagicLegends.com. You can follow Mullenix (and her dog, Izzlebee) on Twitter (@Winnifresh).
