Mistbound is a collectible card game (CCG) in development for PC and mobile devices, whose main feature (beyond being set in the Guild Wars universe) is the ability to move cards in various directions during the player’s turn. Battles take place on a dynamic 5×3 tactical grid where units and commanders, deployed on the board like cards, can be repositioned to respond to enemy moves. This system introduces mechanics such as pushing and the opportunity to flank.
The objective of the movement system is to transfer the complexity that the cards themselves can have with strategic combinations to the battlefield, in order to give life to a game that offers more options and possibilities. Baek «Kranich» Hakjun, designer of Mistbound and former professional player of Hearthstone, the card game set in the World of Warcraft universe, says that Mistbound is initially accessible and intuitive. However, as the player learns they begin to pay more attention to the importance of each turn due to the need to control the board.
Being set in the world of Guild Wars, Mistbound’s commanders are characters that players of the veteran MMO will know. Each commander has unique passive traits and active abilities.
«Some ArenaNet developers participated [en Mistbound] as consultants and worked closely with the NC development team to create an authentic Guild Wars experience that was faithful to the world, mythology and visual identity that have defined the franchise for more than two decades,» ArenaNet says in a message. «Later this year, Mistbound will enter beta in China for PC […]. When we officially launch Mistbound, it will initially only be available in China. Later we will study the possibility of launching Mistbound in other territories […]».
«And although, as a partner, ArenaNet played a fundamental role in providing ideas and opinions on the final product, it has neither developed the game nor is it going to publish it,» adds the studio.