Mana Echoes - Episode 4

Greetings everyone!

Welcome back to another episode of Mana Echoes!

In this week’s episode, we’re changing the primary focus from our previous actions, and we’ll be diving into the pool of upcoming changes that the team has been working on for a while: and in the surface of this pool, lies the first of the changes that will released: a complete overhaul of the Quest Journal system!

Warning: Viewer Discretion is Advised

The topic we are previewing in today’s episode is still in development and might undergo changes until its public release. We would also like to disclaim that not all details from the features are present in this preview, and such features will be introduced to the game in a testing stage, meaning that some of the details will be closely monitored and can be adjusted or balanced if needed to ensure their goals are achieved.

These features will be improved and expanded over time, and their goal is to create more enjoyable daily and weekly gameplay routine experiences that can be enjoyed by new players and veterans alike in a way that can be felt by players daily.

In case the UI looks a bit old, that’s because it is. This, too, is scheduled to receive an overhaul at a later date, but in the meanwhile, minor adjustments will be made to accommodate new features as they are implemented into the game, while the new UI for the game is still in its development stage.

What we talking about today?

The current quest system was introduced back in January 2021. Since then, it’s served as a way to offer players an extra layer of in-game challenges and rewards—from simple objectives that nearly any Planeswalker can complete, to more specific tasks requiring a bit more focus. The goal for this, and other upcoming changes that will be implemented and presented in the future aim to modernize the feeling and accessibility of gameplay systems and experiences and have these systems implemented in a way that they be improved over time. Let’s break down The topics we’ll be talking today about this new feature:

• We’ll be implementing a new Quest System in the game
• The system is being implemented in a testing state: it will be closely monitored and can be adjusted and rebalanced if necessary
• The total number of Daily Quests will increase from three to five
• A new, more streamlined Weekly reward system will also be implemented
• Higher number of quests in the quest pool
• The rewards from the old Guiding Journal, accessed by new players, will be awarded at the end of the tutorial
• The goals for the redesign of the quest system are:
  • Players should complete many quests in their daily routine.
  • Progression on quests should be satisfying for new players and veterans alike.
  • Quests are a good source of rewards if engaged with daily.

Player experience goals are design goals we set for the systems when we create the features.

They drive the development and balancing and help the team with a clear goal we can aim for and measure via community feedback and data.

That sounds fine—so why change it?

Among the features that are on our plans to be implemented, the revamp of the Quest System was the one that could be delivered fast to the community and allows us to continuously deliver value post-feature launch, while we work on other upcoming features.

While the old Quest Journal system still works, it hasn’t kept up with how the game has grown and evolved. We believe quests should be a core part of the Magic: Puzzle Quest experience—for both newcomers and veterans. This overhaul is all about making quests more rewarding and integrated into your daily play.

So, what’s changing?

Quite a bit in this first release! Let’s take a quick look at how the new system is shaping up:

Warning: These images were produced with a development version. Visuals might be different upon launch.

To make room for the improvements, we’ve restructured the layout a bit. Here’s what’s new:

• More daily quests, less journals!
• The Journal nomenclature is being retired from the game in favor of Quests. Having all the quests under the same system makes it simpler to provide updates and adjustments to the quests with this new system.
• We’re also expanding from 3 to 5 daily quests. That means more opportunities to engage with the game and earn rewards as part of your regular play loop.

• While the goal will be to have more quests, some actions that were tied to the retired terminology, such as the guiding journal, will be disabled, and all rewards from this previous system, which were aimed at players who had just created an account, will be temporarily awarded after the third tutorial battle. This way, new players are not at a disadvantage due to having fewer resources, due to the implementation of this system.

• Better variety, better pacing

• The new quest pool offers a broader mix of challenges—from quick and easy wins to slightly more complex tasks—without sacrificing that satisfying feeling of progress. We are confident that the new quest method will help deliver that sweet feeling of completing a quest more times per day, every day. Check that box and claim that reward!

So... more “tasks”?

Not quite. While we have a higher volume of quests delivered in this first implementation, the majority of these are designed to be easily achieved by regular gameplay from new accounts, so the expected result is to have more players completing more quests and obtaining more rewards.

What about rewards?

Each completed quest will now grant a reward that may include Mana Runes, Mana Crystals, or Mana Jewels—plus account XP.

And that’s not all—there’s also a Weekly Reward track!

As you complete quests throughout the week, your progress will count toward unlocking bonus rewards.

And don’t worry: even if you complete more than the required quests, you’ll still earn individual rewards for each one. Nothing left on the table.

Whether you're powering up your Planeswalkers or chasing level-up rewards, this update is designed to make your time in the game more rewarding every single day.

How much time do I have to complete them?

Daily quests reset every 24 hours, and you’ll see a countdown timer to help you stay on track.

Completed quests you haven't claimed in time? Don’t worry—those rewards will be granted automatically the next time you access the Home.

The Weekly Reward tracker also has a timer, and when that time’s up, progress resets—so be sure to plan ahead if you're aiming to hit the weekly goal!

Is that all the changes?

Funny you should ask—yes and no.

What we’ve covered today is everything that will be visible to players. The finer details will be updated in our official documentation upon release.

Behind the scenes, we’ve also laid the groundwork for future features, including the ability to quickly introduce new quests or fine-tune existing ones. There’s more to come, and this update gets us ready for what’s next.

We’re confident this revamp will have a strong, positive impact—especially for players who log in daily and want meaningful goals to chase.

And when is this going live again?

The updated quest system will roll out with version 7.2.1, our next content release, ahead of [REDACTED]—landing in the first half of May.

That’s all for this week’s episode of Mana Echoes!

Join us again in 4 weeks from now when we’ll be talking about [REDACTED], the next set that will be reaching Magic Puzzle Quest around June, and information about the Standard Rotation for 2025.

Until then, may your gem cascades be as kind to you as they are to Greg!