Card games are still cool, right?

Marvel’s upcoming comic book themed card game is getting a closed beta test soon to help fix any bugs that might be in the development. The beta will be taking place in a few days, beginning on March 19th and ending on March 26th.

It’s worth noticing that the beta isn’t going to be worldwide, unfortunately. This closed beta will only be available in Thailand and the Philippines, though the developers don’t give any sort of a reason for this.

“Prepare for all-new MARVEL adventures in the strategy card game – MARVEL Duel!” the official Twitter states to stoke hype. Players will be able to “Collect iconic Super Heroes and Villains, build your deck, and let the duel begin! It is your time to be the HERO! ASSEMBLE YOUR DECK, SAVE THE UNIVERSE!”

So yeah, stakes are pretty high.

The upcoming title is developed by NetEase, and features over 150 characters from the Marvel universe. Players will pick between one of the five most iconic superheroes, Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Star-Lord, with each having a unique feel and loadout.

Much of the game is based around the mechanic of deck-building, providing supposedly-limitless strategies for players to put into play and claim victory. It isn’t all heroes, though, as players will find plenty of super villains to put into their deck – it doesn’t seem like picking between good and evil will be too important.

Either way, one has to wonder if we really need another card-based deckbuilding game. They’ve flooded the market over the last few years and have started to fall off steadily, with titles like Hearthstone now having what seems to be a pretty solid hold on the market. Other IPs like Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering continue to receive a few different ports, but none of them seem to stick. Even the Elder Scrolls franchise fell short as Bethesda announced they wouldn’t be developing any additional content for their Elder Scrolls: Legends title back in December.

Maybe Marvel will be able to make their title stick in a market that has seen a huge amount of turnover. Perhaps sticking solely to the mobile market will be instrumental in future success, or maybe the closed beta being available to countries in Asia – which historically is a much stronger market for mobile gaming – will be able to secure the needed support?

Either way, the game holds some promise, so set your calendar for the closed beta if you’re able to partake. Otherwise, the title will be hitting iOS and Android soon!