Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel can be easily written off as another pay-to-win card game at first glance. Learn why Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel isn't necessarily as pay-to-win as most card games tend to be!

Is Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Pay-to-Win?

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Isn’t As Pay-To-Win As Other Card Games

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is Pay-to-Win by virtue of being a competitive card game. The more bucks the player spend, the more cards they get, which ultimately grants said player access to better cards and decks overall.

That said, Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel isn't as Pay-to-Win as other titles in the genre. The game is Free-to-Play (F2P) and it is completely possible for an F2P to start off with a high-tier deck from the very beginning — provided they know what they're doing with the initial surge of gems they receive, of course.

Beginner's Guide: Tips For Starting Out

Newer Releases in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Have Tendency to Shift Meta

A trend that has been growing in Master Duel as of late is that the recent Selection Packs sometimes introduce themes that immediately skyrocket certain cards, if not whole archetypes, into the top of the meta.

Archetypes that immediately became crucial to the competitive side of the game include Branded Despia, Tearlaments, Kashtira, Bystial, Runick, Spright, the Superheavy Samurai engine, Snake-Eyes, Fire King, Rescue-ACE and more among others.

Certain Archetypes Remain Relevant

With that being said, some of the introduced archetypes stay pretty high up in the meta's tier list after their introduction to Master Duel. That means players can opt to stick with the Deck built or cards obtaindfrom a certain Selection Pack and not go as hard on the next couple of Packs--unless they are as equally meta-defining.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is F2P Friendly

Free-To-Play players have access to systems which makes the overall experience from start to high-rank play less daunting. This results in a surprisingly accessible card game that interested players should definitely consider trying out!

In-Game currency is farmable through gameplay

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel uses a currency called Gems which are spent for items such as Packs, Accessories, and Duel Passes.

The game gives you a generous amount that can be earned primarily through it's Solo Mode and Missions. Solo Mode is essentially a set of campaigns split into self-contained stories called Gates. Every Gate has a set number of Chapters, which reward players a variety of rewards for completing them — this include Gems. Missions, on the other hand, grant Gems and other rewards for completing specific activities while in-game. These range anywhere from performing special summons in matches to logging in for the first time in a day.

Best Way to Spend Gems

Solo Mode Gives Gems

F2P players can expect to earn well-over 10k gems by just playing Solo Mode and completing missions from the start using the various free Structure Decks they'll receive as they progress through its Gates. This amount is enough to craft anywhere from high-tier meta decks, to fun off-meta decks players might want to use.

It is important to note that these high amount of free gems will reduce as you complete all of the Gates and first batch of missions. New players must use their gems as efficiently as possible!

Solo Mode Guide: Best Routes to Progress

Cards can be directly crafted and dismantled

One of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel's best systems is the ability to craft cards directly! Players can also dismantle existing cards for resources that can be used to make others.

This is a nice step away from the heavy RNG that goes into most TCGs and makes the new-player experience more accessible than other games in the genre.

How to Craft Cards

The game's Secret Pack system makes pulling cards more efficient

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has Secret Packs which are packs with a more focused pool of cards. These cards are centered around a particular archetype, theme, or strategy as opposed to the Master Pack which has an insanely large card pool.

This is another good system that helps mitigate the RNG that goes into creating specific decks that players want to use.

How to Unlock Secret Packs

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Related Guides

Beginner's Guides

All Beginner's Guides

FAQ Section

Frequently Asked Questions