Shadowverse

Shadowverse
Developer(s)	Cygames
Publisher(s)	WW: Cygames PRC: NetEase
Composer(s)	Yoshihiro Ike
Engine	Unity
Platform(s)	iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Release	iOS, Android WW: June 17, 2016 Windows, macOS WW: October 28, 2016 ROK: February 7, 2017 TW: May 11, 2017 EU: July 2017 Android, PC May 4, 2018
Genre(s)	Collectible card game
Mode(s)	Multiplayer single-player

Shadowverse is a free-to-play digital collectible card video game developed and published by Cygames in Japan. It was released for iOS and Android devices in June 2016, and by July was the most popular mobile collectible card game in Japan. Mac and Windows versions were released in October 2016. It began its overseas promotion in 2017, and there are three major versions by region - Japanese, International (including English, Korean, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish), and Simplified Chinese (released by NetEase in China in October 2017).

Shadowverse employs an anime art style with some illustrations reused from the developer's previous title, Rage of Bahamut, an earlier digital collectible card game released in 2012. The game has been compared favorably with Hearthstone (2014), a difference being that Cygames sought to minimize the impact of randomness on match outcomes. Another difference is Shadowverse's "Evolve" game mechanic which allows players to grant played cards bonus stats and effects at the cost of an evolution point.

An anime television series adaptation by Zexcs premiered on April 7, 2020. An RPG card game based on the anime, Shadowverse: Champion's Battle will be released in Japan on Nintendo Switch on November 5, 2020.

Expansions

New sets are added to Shadowverse at a regular interval of three months. The game launched with an initial set of Basic cards that were automatically added to new accounts or earned through the story mode, and the Standard set (now called Classic) obtained from card packs. Additionally, a number of promotional cards have been released, which were obtainable through varying methods. These cards are cosmetic replacements for existing cards; they do not have a unique gameplay function. Once every three months, one card set will be out of rotation due to the arrival of a new card set.

With the arrival of the Chronogenesis expansion, a new class was added to the game, Portalcraft; 42 Portalcraft cards were included in the Chronogenesis expansion (more than normal for a single class; each other class only received 12 new cards with the launch of Chronogenesis). From Dawnbreak Nightedge onwards, Portalcraft cards have continued to be added to each expansion at the same rate as that of one of the original classes.

Also from the Dawnbreak Nightedge expansion onwards, Cygames has been releasing additional mini-expansions in between each normal expansion release; these mini-expansions contain a new gold card for all eight classes and a new legendary card for all classes with the exception of Neutral. There has been no official statement on whether these mini-expansions will be a continued addition with each expansion. Once a mini-expansion releases, the cards from that mini-expansion are available to open in the packs of the most recent set that came before them. Just like any other cards from the regular expansions, the mini-expansion cards can also be crafted with vials.

Card set	Release date
Darkness Evolved (DE)	September 29, 2016
Rise of Bahamut (RoB)	December 29, 2016
Tempest of the Gods (TotG)	March 2017
Wonderland Dreams (WLD)	June 2017
Starforged Legends (SFL)	September 2017
Chronogenesis (CGS)	December 2017
Dawnbreak, Nightedge (DBNE)	March 2018 (mini expansion release in May 2018)
Brigade of the Sky (BotS)	June 2018 (mini expansion release in August 2018)
Omen of the Ten (OotT)	September 2018 (mini expansion release in November 2018)
Altersphere	December 2018 (mini expansion release in February 2019)
Steel Rebellion (SR)	March 2019 (mini expansion release in May 2019)
Rebirth of Glory (RoG)	June 2019 (mini expansion release in August 2019)
Verdant Conflict (VC)	September 2019 (mini expansion release in November 2019)
Ultimate Colosseum (UC)	December 2019 (mini expansion release in February 2020)
World Uprooted (WU)	March 2020 (mini expansion release in May 2020)
Fortune's Hand (FH)	June 2020 (mini expansion release in August 2020)
Storm Over Rivayle (SOR)	September 2020 (mini expansion release in November 2020)

Gameplay

Matches

Shadowverse matches are structured between two players taking turns playing cards from their deck. Each player is represented by a Leader with 20 defense and a starting hand of three cards. The player going first has two evolution points, and the player going second has three evolution points, can evolve one turn earlier, and draws an extra card at the player's first turn. The objective of the player is to reduce the other player's defense to 0 or attain a win via certain cards (e.g. Enstatued Seraph or a Victory Card by playing Spartacus). You can also win if the opponent must draw from an empty deck

Each player utilizes the Play Point resource to play cards. Both players begin at having zero play point orbs, and gain one play point orb at the beginning of the respective player's turn, up to a limit of 10. Play Point orbs are refilled at the beginning of each player's turn.

Cards

In Shadowverse, cards are divided into three basic types:

• Followers – a card that has an attack and defense value. Only Follower cards can be evolved. Once a follower's defense drops below 1, that follower is destroyed. Followers may attack leaders or other followers, in which case the attacked unit will have its defense reduced according to the attack of the follower. When attacking another follower, the attacking follower will have its defense reduced by the attack of the targeted follower. Followers cannot attack the same turn they are played, unless said follower has the Rush or Storm keyword.
• Spells – a card that resolves immediately after it is played.
• Amulets – a card that once played stays in the area, providing effects until it is removed. Amulets cannot be attacked by followers.

All three types of cards come in four rarities: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Legendary. A deck may only contain three or fewer copies of a card, regardless of rarity.

Evolving

After turn 4 (turn 5 for the player going first), Follower cards can be evolved once per turn, granting them an additional 2 attack and defense (usually), Rush (the ability to attack other followers the turn the follower is played), as well as activating any Evolve effects the card may have. The use of Evolve is crucial to swinging the tide of the game.

Crafts

There are eight classes, called "crafts" in the English localization. Though the original Japanese class names are English gairaigo, the localization nonetheless uses different names. Each craft has a set of exclusive cards and a unique mechanic.

Localized name	Gairaigo name	Mechanic
Forestcraft	Elf (エルフ, Erufu)	Cards may receive bonuses by playing a number of previous cards on the same turn. Often supported by generating cheap token cards.
Swordcraft	Royal (ロイヤル, Roiyaru)	Followers and some amulets have either the Commander or Officer trait and may generate or receive bonuses based on trait interaction.
Runecraft	Witch (ウィッチ, Witchi)	Cards in hand with the Spellboost keyword may gain bonuses or cost reductions for every spell cast by the player.
Dragoncraft	Dragon (ドラゴン, Doragon)	Cards with the Overflow keyword gain bonuses when the player has 7 or more total play point orbs. Often supported by cards that generate orbs.
Shadowcraft	Necromancer (ネクロマンサー, Nekuromansā)	Cards with the Necromancy keyword gain bonuses by consuming shadows, a resource generated by any card when it is removed from the game.(Unless being Banished, another way to remove cards)
Bloodcraft	Vampire (ヴァンパイア, Vanpaia)	Cards with the Vengeance keyword gain bonuses when the player has 10 or less defense. Often supported by effects that deal damage to the player.
Havencraft	Bishop (ビショップ, Bishoppu)	Countdown amulets may have no effect while on the board, but produce a powerful Last Words effect when the Countdown expires.
Portalcraft	Nemesis (ネメシス, Nemeshisu)	Cards with the Resonance keyword gain bonuses when there is an even number of cards in the deck. Supported by effects that add or draw cards.

Media

Anime

Shadowverse
Anime television series
Directed by	Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Written by	Rintaro Isaki Deko Akao
Music by	Yoshihiro Ike
Studio	Zexcs
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	April 7, 2020 – present
Episodes	48

On October 7, 2019, it was announced that the game would receive an anime television series adaptation. The series is animated by Zexcs and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, with Rintaro Isaki and Deko Akao handling series composition, Hiroki Harada designing the characters, and Yoshihiro Ike composing the series' music. The series premiered on April 7, 2020 on TV Tokyo. The band Penguin Research performed the first opening theme, "Kirifuda" (lit. Trump Card), while Yui Ogura performed the first ending theme, "Happiness Sensation". The second opening theme, "Shinsekai" (New World), was performed by FLOW, while the second ending theme, "Kokoro Darenimo" (Heart to Everyone), was performed by the Game Jikkyōsha Wakuwaku Band.

Characters

Hiiro Ryugasaki (竜ヶ崎ヒイロ)

Voiced by: Gakuto Kajiwara

Lucia Yonazuki (夜那月ルシア)

Voiced by: Junya Enoki

Mimori Amamiya (天宮ミモリ)

Voiced by: Kaede Hondo

Kazuki Shindo (進藤カズキ)

Voiced by: Hayato Taya

Kai Ijuin (伊集院カイ)

Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki

Alice Kurobane (黒羽アリス)

Voiced by: Yui Ogura

Maura Aberald (マウラ・アベラルド)

Voiced by: Yuichi Iguchi

Leon Auransh (レオン・オーランシュ)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Malgrit Valoa (マルグリット・ヴァロワ)

Voiced by: Satomi Akesaka

Reception

According to Super Data in its 2017 report, Shadowverse has earned $100M in revenue despite having launched halfway through 2016, making it the standout new title for the year.

External links

• Official website
• TVアニメ「シャドウバース」公式サイト
• シャドウバース テレビ東京アニメ公式