It was a shock to everyone when Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel launched on Steam without too much of a fan fare. The free to play, deck building card game based on the popular anime quickly became a popular choice with players and has skyrocketed up the Steam charts.
Even though it only came out on 19 January, the elemental fusion card game is already the fourth most downloaded game on the online storefront. Interestingly free to play titles often dominate the Steam charts with many filling up the majority of the top spots.
Are you a big Yu-Gi-Oh fan? Then check out Liam who is proven to love the card battling action by tattooing it all over his body.
Being free to play obviously gives many games a boost - the allure of getting to try a game without paying is obviously attractive. However, many of Steam's most profitable games of 2021 were also free to play. Destiny 2, DOTA 2, Counter Strike Global Offensive and Apex Legends were all amongst the top 12 most profitable games for Steam in 2021. Another PUBG became free to download this month, while one more, Battlefield 2042, is rumoured to be going the same way shortly.
While the new Yu-Gi-Oh! game has only just dropped for mobile platforms yesterday (26 January), Konami has promised that it will be cross-play and cross-save across its multiple platforms. This means you'll be able to keep your hard earned and/or hard bought deck whichever way you choose to play. It has also claimed that you will be able to participate in online battles with other players no matter the platform.
Overall it seems Konami are looking for absolute accessibility and playability in its game, hoping that the quality it offers encourages players to make those sweet in-game purchases. While profits haven't been released yet, the sheer number of downloads make it seem very promising.
Featured Image Credit: Toei / KonamiTopics: Steam