Magic: The Gathering’s ambitious ‘Digital Next’ project should arrive this year

Hasbro has said that the first release in its ‘Digital Next’ series of products for Magic: The Gathering is scheduled for launch in 2017.

The Digital Next platform was originally announced by Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner back in November, where he described the vision for the platform as ‘a seamless digital experience that meets all the players’ needs from new players to pro players’.

Goldner’s comments suggested that the new digital offering would replace or integrate aspects of Magic Online and Duels, which he said were targeted at high-level fans and beginners, respectively.

In an investors call this month, Goldner expanded on the plans for Digital Next, hinting that the platform would begin to roll out to players towards the end of 2017.

“We really do look at the way we invest in our business to set us up for the future, most notably in Magic: The Gathering,” Goldner said.

“For example, we have Magic Digital Next, which has been an investment for a number of years and will continue to be a bit of investment this year because, of course, late this year, you'll start to see some of the evidence of what the team has been working on as they begin to put that platform out into the market.

“It's really for the long-term sustainable profitable growth of Hasbro that we will still have some investments, particularly in 2017, on Magic: The Gathering to get Magic Digital Next up and running and some other investments that we'll continue to make in the business.”

The call followed Hasbro’s annual earnings announcement, which revealed that Magic had experienced its eighth year of consecutive growth.

Overall, Hasbro’s games category revenue was up by nine per cent, largely thanks to Magic’s continued popularity and messy kid-friendly hit Pie Face. The company as a whole made more than $5 billion in annual revenue for the first time in its history.