Marvel Snap, a fast-paced card game featuring all the most iconic heroes and villains from over the years, is now available. Here’s everything we know about the title from former Hearthstone devs.
Years after launching Hearthstone and helping it grow into one of the biggest CCGs today, Ben Brode and a number of former Blizzard developers finally unveiled their next major project in Marvel Snap.
As an extremely fast ‘card battler,’ Marvel Snap aims to get to the fun as quickly as possible, with short bursts of action in games that last barely a few minutes. Though with dozens of cards and unique functions in the mix, it’s certainly not light on strategy despite this blistering pace.
If you’re eager to learn more about the rules or even join in and play Marvel Snap today, we’ve got you covered below with a full breakdown of everything there is to know about the game.
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Marvel Snap release date and platforms
Marvel Snap released on October 18, 2022, for iOS and Android devices around the world. On the same day, an early access build also launched on PC.
This global release followed an Open Beta period where fans in select regions were able to check out the game ahead of time. If you’re looking to join the action as soon as possible, head to the official website to start snapping.
Marvel Snap gameplay details
With an emphasis on speed, Marvel Snap aims to be one of the quickest card games on the market. Featuring decks of just 12 cards each, average games last a few quick minutes, allowing for rapid competition with no wasted time.
In these 1v1 matches, players fight for majority control over three distinct zones. Placing your cards down and amassing more power than your opponent in two of the three zones is the key to victory.
“Well over 150 cards” are included at launch, devs have confirmed, with each and every Marvel icon dropping onto the board with a unique function. Some provide buffs for other characters while certain cards may even flip sides and reduce the strength of your opponent’s deck.
Marvel Snap also incorporates a seasonal model, with new cards implemented with each passing month as the seasons roll on.
Crucially, Marvel Snap is a free-to-play title similar to many TCGs available today. However, devs have already sought to clarify that players can earn “every card in the game over time without paying anything.”
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Cosmic Cubes in Marvel Snap
A casual-friendly mode is confirmed to be in the pipeline for Marvel Snap, but at launch, much of the game’s focus is set on a competitive playlist where ‘Cosmic Cubes’ are all-important. By default, players wager one Cosmic Cube in every game.
Retreating (conceding) in the first five turns mitigates a greater risk, allowing you to bail out of a doomed match losing just one Cosmic Cube.
If you remain involved through the sixth and final turn, however, the stakes are doubled as both sides reveal their final moves. All that’s assuming no one looked to double down with the ‘Snap’ mechanic at any point throughout the match.
If you’re feeling confident, you’re able to Snap anytime throughout a match to further up your wager, increasing potential Cosmic Cube gains. The more Cosmic Cubes to your name, the higher your rank on the competitive ladder.
Trailers
The initial announcement trailer, showed off a bit of the gameplay that players were able to experience during the beta.
In addition, ahead of the full game’s launch, Marvel Snap brought back Nick Fury himself, Samuel L. Jackson, as he learned that he was losing his job as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. to the player!
Effective today, I’m being replaced as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Because now, @MarvelSnap gives players control over the entire Marvel Universe. You think you can do as good of a job as I did? We'll see about that. pic.twitter.com/8NcdLg1VJK
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) October 18, 2022
So that’s everything we know about Marvel Snap! For more on upcoming games, check out our release hubs below:
The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | Wonder Woman | God of War Ragnarok | Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch
