Is Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Really Free-To-Play?

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is the latest digital incarnation of the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, following the same rules and format as the physical version of the game, and players can download and play for free on PC, console, and mobile devices. Of course, as with any free-to-play game, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel includes its fair share of microtransactions, which may leave some players skeptical about whether or not the game is actually pay-to-win. While more invested players might have no problem dropping real cash on in-game Gems and card packs, more casual players could be left wondering if they will be able to build a viable competitive deck without spending any money in this card-based video game.

Fortunately, thanks to Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel’s dismantling system, players are able to exchange any cards they don’t want for Craft Points that can be used to craft the cards they actually want or need in their deck. Unlike Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, which requires players to pull cards from packs at random, Master Duel gives players this opportunity to easily tailor their deck without spending any real money whatsoever. While cards still require Gems to acquire, these can be earned relatively quickly simply by playing the game’s Ranked and Solo modes.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel throws a ton of Gems at players as soon as they begin the game. The tutorial alone will grant players 500 Gems, as well as a free Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Structure Deck so they can jump into duels right away. Players can also earn Gems by completing various missions or spectating duels, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel even grants a pretty substantial log-on bonus each day. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, the amount of Gems players can earn does seem to diminish, but after players have built their deck using the Gems and Craft Points they earned at the beginning, the slower flow of Gems will still allow them to get new cards to buff their deck’s power and stay up-to-date with competitive matches.

Players Can Make Back Gems Spent On Master Duel’s Gold Pass

In addition to rewarding Gems through Ranked and Solo duels, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel gives players even more gems when they purchase the Gold Duel Pass from the in-game shop. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel‘s Duel Battle Pass is a typical Battle Pass monetization structure that grants additional rewards as players compete in Ranked duels, and while the Normal Duel Pass is completely free for all players, the Gold Duel Pass only costs 600 Gems. By reaching the max level on the Gold Pass, players will earn back the 600 Gems they spent, as well as plenty of Craft Points to create even more cards for their deck. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel’s Duel Pass rewards players with Duel Pass Points even if they lose the match, making it easy to reach the max level with only a few duels a day.

Of course, players who become invested in the game and want to create multiple viable competitive decks or decks with more Ultra Rare and Super Rare Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel cards may find that they have to spend a bit of real money to get all the cards and crafting materials they need. Additionally, players who want to duel on multiple platforms will find that their Gems are separated into “paid” and “free” Gems, and only free Gems can be accessed on any platform connected to the account, whereas paid Gems are only available on the platform they were purchased on. Still, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel’s free-to-play model does make it easy for anyone to build a viable deck without spending a single cent.

About The Author