CD Projekt Red Announces Gwent: Rogue Mage, a Single-Player Deckbuilding Roguelike - Exclusive

ign.com:

IGN can reveal that The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red will release Gwent: Rogue Mage - a single-player deckbuilding roguelike - tomorrow, July 7, for PC, iOS, and Anrdoid.

Previously known as Project Golden Nekker, Rogue Mage is branded as a Gwent expansion, and retains the card game's core mechanics, but will be sold separately from the multiplayer original. The standard version will be available for $9.99, while a premium edition – which comes with in-game skins, cosmetics, and card packs for the multiplayer game – will cost $19.99.

"Rogue Mage came out of us noticing that years after The Witcher 3's release, there are a significant number of players who want a more PvE experience from Gwent," said game director Vladimir Tortsov.

"While Gwent multiplayer is a fantastic game for those who are looking for a great PvP multiplayer experience, we perfectly understand that many Witcher players loved the original mini-game of Gwent for totally different reasons. With Rogue Mage we aim to give this audience a reason to play modern-day Gwent in the format they prefer."

We've had the chance to play Rogue Mage ahead of its release date, and it definitely feels reminiscent of The Witcher 3 version of Gwent, though obviously set amid a roguelike format. Much like the original, players will use Witcher world characters like Dandelion, Zoltan, and Yennefer, but Rogue Mage uses cards from the multiplayer version of Gwent. While this means the mechanics are a bit more complex, cards are presented in simpler packages that aren't nearly as daunting as logging into the multiplayer version for the first time.

Players only start with around a dozen cards in their deck, and each deck focuses on an easy to understand main theme. The first deck