Honestly, they've more or less gotten the hang of handling this game by now. It's still missing quite a few things I wish I could see in the game, but ever since returning to the game it's seen nothing but improvement with time. We still don't have BO3 or retro formats and the game is still a ways behind the TCG and even further behind the OCG. However, there's a whole lot more added in terms of general functionality and quality of life, as well as plenty more accessories and more robust duel room options (though the rooms could still use custom banlists...).
Banlists are handled interestingly and I see people complain about them a lot more than I'd agree with. I rather like the unique monthly mini-lists over the unknown-timeframe TCG banlists, and it feels like the developers can pivot their picks really quickly if needed. It's a flexible system that I think works perfectly for a game of this nature and style. I think it also makes the climb to Master rank (the current highest rank) pretty interesting with the monthly changes. but that's just me. Of course, shit like Maxx "C" is still legal and FTKs are weirdly easy to find on ladder due to OCG-based lists, so things can only get so good even with the way lists are handled.
The monetization has not gotten particularly better or worse. Points can be given for there being plenty of affordable and powerful structure decks to get ahold of as a new player, and free gems come up pretty often with the monthly events. I'm no longer F2P but have never really felt strong pressure to put anything together other than making a Purrely deck (my favorite deck in the game in a number of ways, making the pressure entirely internal) as well as an all-purpose Dino deck for event farming (which obviously pays for itself).
I've more or less sunk my money in for the purpose of helping teach my friends who are getting into the game as well as for the aforementioned reasons, so I'd say it's nothing too deeply predatory. Still, though, the UR spread is as shitty as always and when you complete a given Duel Pass you ALWAYS feel a huge drought of resources until the next one begins. It's a gacha still as one would expect.
In general I'd say the game has improved substantially from its very middling release, but it's not yet at a point of feeling great. It still needs alternative duel modes for me to even think of pushing it up through the ceiling it's currently at, and banning Maxx "C" would let it come through the next ceiling after that. Master Duel still has so much potential as my previous review stated, but it really needs to come toward it sooner rather than later. It's SO close to being the best YGO game yet released. It's just not there now.
Banlists are handled interestingly and I see people complain about them a lot more than I'd agree with. I rather like the unique monthly mini-lists over the unknown-timeframe TCG banlists, and it feels like the developers can pivot their picks really quickly if needed. It's a flexible system that I think works perfectly for a game of this nature and style. I think it also makes the climb to Master rank (the current highest rank) pretty interesting with the monthly changes. but that's just me. Of course, shit like Maxx "C" is still legal and FTKs are weirdly easy to find on ladder due to OCG-based lists, so things can only get so good even with the way lists are handled.
The monetization has not gotten particularly better or worse. Points can be given for there being plenty of affordable and powerful structure decks to get ahold of as a new player, and free gems come up pretty often with the monthly events. I'm no longer F2P but have never really felt strong pressure to put anything together other than making a Purrely deck (my favorite deck in the game in a number of ways, making the pressure entirely internal) as well as an all-purpose Dino deck for event farming (which obviously pays for itself).
I've more or less sunk my money in for the purpose of helping teach my friends who are getting into the game as well as for the aforementioned reasons, so I'd say it's nothing too deeply predatory. Still, though, the UR spread is as shitty as always and when you complete a given Duel Pass you ALWAYS feel a huge drought of resources until the next one begins. It's a gacha still as one would expect.
In general I'd say the game has improved substantially from its very middling release, but it's not yet at a point of feeling great. It still needs alternative duel modes for me to even think of pushing it up through the ceiling it's currently at, and banning Maxx "C" would let it come through the next ceiling after that. Master Duel still has so much potential as my previous review stated, but it really needs to come toward it sooner rather than later. It's SO close to being the best YGO game yet released. It's just not there now.