Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, the sequel to the strategic card game developed by Cygames, has made a remarkable impact since its release on June 17, 2025. Within just three days, the game surpassed one million downloads and quickly climbed to the top of sales charts on both Apple and Steam stores. However, player feedback across Steam, Apple App Store, and Google Play has been overwhelmingly negative, largely due to the game’s monetization model.
Many players have criticized the increased pay-to-win elements compared to the original game, highlighting imbalances in the in-game economy. Complaints include significantly higher card pack prices and reduced rewards for free-to-play users. Additionally, players expressed frustration over the longer time required to build competitive decks without spending money. Steam users also pointed out a new requirement to hold at least three copies of the same card, including legendary cards, before they can be disenchanted.
Despite the backlash, SteamDB data reveals a strong and active player base. The game reached a peak of over 100,000 concurrent players in the past three days, with more than 26,000 players online at the time of reporting. This suggests that many players still enjoy the core gameplay of Worlds Beyond, though the initial wave of negative reviews may be an attempt to pressure Cygames into revising the game’s economic system.
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond is challenging the dominance of other card games like “Three Kingdoms Kill” on Steam, marking a significant moment in the competitive card game genre.
Game Details:
- Genre: Strategy Card Game
- Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Cygames, Inc.
- Release Date: June 15, 2025
- Platforms: PC
- Tags: Card Game, Player vs Player, Deck Building
