'Elder Scrolls' digital card game launches after year-long beta

Elder Scrolls Legends, a digital card game set in publisher Bethesda's fantasy universe, has just come out of a year-long beta period. The strategy title is ready to play on PC right now, and is coming to iPad on March 23rd. Android tablet support is slated for April, while MacOS gamers can expect a version in May, and if you want to play on your phone, you can look forward to an early summer release date. If you're playing on PC now, all of your game gear will transfer to the upcoming platforms, so you don't have to worry about starting over.

Bethesda also announced an upcoming update for the title, set to arrive April 5th. "The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood" is a new story that will contain new content for solo players, including more than 20 missions across three maps and more than 40 new cards. Players of the Mac/PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online MMO will get a free Doom Wolf mount when they download the card game expansion.

Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering has done incredibly well with the digital version of it's strategic card collecting experience, while Hearthstone was making $20 million per month just a couple of years ago. It's not a surprise that Bethesda wants its own entry to the genre, and having a hook into the IP of one of the bigger MMOs on console and PC can't hurt.

Bethesda says this is just the first step in making Legends a robust play adventure along with connecting it to the larger universe of The Elder Scrolls Online. The company plans to add even more features, including a spectator mode, Twitch integration and in-game tournaments. It also hopes to release new card sets and stories "every few months" throughout 2017.