February 6th has arrived, and with it, Master Duel celebrates its 3rd Anniversary. Released back in January 2022, the game has been going from strength to strength. It has now established itself as another avenue to enjoy the Yu-Gi-Oh intellectual property (IP) while distinguishing itself as a unique format compared to its siblings in the Trading Card Game (TCG) and the Official Card Game (OCG).
Starting the 3rd Anniversary campaign off is a daily login bonus of a variety of rewards. These include a handful of anniversary packs, a small sum of gems, an art icon, and an ultra-rare Elemental HERO Neos featuring its new alternate art. You can find more information on Master Duel’s in-game rewards here at Konami’s official website.
Continuing with the celebration, Master Duel has released two new selection packs. The first is The Forbidden Liberated. Those who play the physical card game regardless of format should recognize the monsters being premiered.
New Fiendsmith cards, Lacrima, Desirae, and the newly semi-limited Engraver can all be found in this pack. Released in the physical card game last year (2024) in the Infinite Forbidden set, the Fiendsmith archetype enjoyed competitive success as part of high-ranking decks like Snake-Eyes and Yubel.
Mirroring its physical release, the new Millenium archetype featuring cards like The Unstoppable Exodia Incarnate and Millennium Ankh can also be found in the same selection pack. The cards brought a new spin to one of the oldest strategies in the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. While not competitively successful like Fiendsmith, Master Duel enjoys a more varied environment.
Rounding out the pack, we have the Azamina archetype - Illusion monsters with ties to the Snake-Eyes archetype. Due to their dual nature of fielding Illusion monsters, these cards find homes in many decks, like Yubel or Phantom Beast.
The second premiere selection pack, the Dueling Experts, is excellent for newer players joining the game three years into its release. It offers a collection of necessary staple cards like Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring or S:P Little Knight, to name a few. If you have yet to build up your roster of staple of cards, then the Dueling Experts selection pack will be well worth the investment of gems.
Finally, regardless of format and how we play Yu-Gi-Oh, the one constant players have to deal with is the Forbidden/Limited list. Mirroring its siblings, Master Duel has its own rules to follow. With the anniversary comes an update to the Master Duel Forbidden/Limited list. Stay tuned, as we'll discuss this change in more detail shortly.