Marvel to release new digital CCG called Marvel Battle Lines

From Marvel:

Nexon, a worldwide leader in online and mobile games, in collaboration with Marvel Entertainment has announced MARVEL Battle Lines, a new strategic card battle game featuring hundreds of iconic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains. In MARVEL Battle Lines, players collect and build the ultimate deck of Super Heroes and Super Villains to take into battle across an expansive single-player campaign with an original story written by Marvel writer Alex Irvine and a real-time turn-based competitive player vs. player (PvP) mode. MARVEL Battle Lines will be released in 2018 as a free-to-download experience on the App Store® for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android devices.

“Marvel’s incredible universe has reached hundreds of millions of fans around the world and it’s an honor to be collaborating with their team on a truly unique game that draws on the nostalgia of collecting trading cards and taps into the fun of battling with friends,” said Lawrence Koh, General Manager at Nexon. “MARVEL Battle Lines is incredibly engaging, fast and accessible, and will give players a chance to hone their skills and collect their favorite Super Heroes and Super Villains based on how they like to play games – whether that’s through the original single-player storyline and activities or competing in the PvP mode.”

MARVEL Battle Lines’ intuitive gameplay allows players to battle in single player and be competitive in PvP from the beginning. Collecting cards from each battle in the single player or PvP modes, players can build diverse decks of powerful Super Heroes and Super Villains, mastering their strategies to take on greater challenges and compete with the best in PvP. In addition to a campaign with an original story from Marvel writer Alex Irvine, an array of single-player activities will revisit beloved Marvel storylines and events and continue to challenge and reward players.

“We are working very closely with Nexon to deliver a card battle game that is authentic to our characters and true to the platform,” said Jay Ong, Senior Vice President of Games, Marvel Entertainment. “MARVEL Battle Lines features an original story and all-new gameplay that Marvel fans and mobile players alike will enjoy for hours on end.”

Players will collect unique cards from hundreds of Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains. Fan favorite characters from Iron Man and Thor to Captain Marvel and Black Panther are fully realized through dynamic card art that can be virtually flipped to provide fans with a detailed back story on each character.

Source: Marvel

Commentary: I grew up on MAGIC: THE GATHERING, and I have really enjoyed Marvel's Collectible Card Games (CCG's) over the years including OVERPOWER and the VS system (which was released as a terrific video game).  I have tried to get into a few different digital-only CCG's, but they really don't do much for me.  I don't mind something based on an actual card game like POKEMON or MAGIC THE GATHERING ONLINE, but stuff like HEARTHSTONE just doesn't appeal to me all that much.  I do love the Marvel characters, so I will likely give it a shot when it comes out.  I just hope it's similar to that VS video game.  

I also think calling any game like this free is VERY misleading.  These games typically quickly become Pay To Win. I have been trying to play MARVEL STRIKE FORCE the last few weeks, and pretty much unless you were in the beta, willing to devout your entire live into farming, or dumping money in the game, it is pretty impossible to compete at a high level.  I don't fault any company from trying to make money off their work, but at least be upfront about it.