Shadowverse CCG is Cygames' digital collectible card game, and it is no longer running. Cygames announced the end of service on 25 March 2026 and shut the servers down at 7:00 pm Pacific on 30 June 2026, almost exactly a decade after the original 2016 launch, with the Steam client released on 27 October 2016. The Steam store page now carries a notice that the game is no longer available there, and accounts cannot be linked across to the successor. Anyone searching for Shadowverse today should be pointed at Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, the direct sequel that launched on 17 June 2025 for Steam, Epic, iOS and Android, or at the physical card game Shadowverse: Evolve. This page covers what the original client was and how its systems worked, because most of that design carried forward, but treat every mode described here as history rather than as something you can queue into tonight.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Twenty defence leader life total
Each player is represented by a Leader with 20 defence, and reducing the opponent's Leader to zero wins the game. Twenty is low compared with most digital card games, which is why aggressive decks stayed viable throughout the game's life and why board control mattered from turn three rather than turn six. Some cards also won outright through alternative conditions, but the twenty point clock was the default assumption behind every deck.
Play Points ramping to ten
Both players start with zero play point orbs and gain one at the start of their own turn up to a cap of ten. That is the entire resource system, with no separate land or mana card to draw, so every card in a deck is a playable card. Ramp effects that pushed you above the natural curve were a defining feature of Dragoncraft in particular.
Evolution Points
The Evolve mechanic granted a played follower bonus stats and often an extra effect, at the cost of one evolution point. The player going first had two evolution points and the player going second had three, and the second player could also evolve a turn earlier. That asymmetry was the game's answer to first player advantage and it shaped how every deck sequenced its threats.
Eight class crafts plus Neutral
Decks were built from one class plus Neutral cards. The classes were Forestcraft, Swordcraft, Runecraft, Dragoncraft, Shadowcraft, Bloodcraft, Havencraft and Portalcraft, the last of which arrived later in the game's life. Each craft had its own keyword identity, so Shadowcraft accumulated shadows for Necromancy costs while Runecraft reduced spell costs through Spellboost.
Vials and card crafting
Cards came from packs, and unwanted cards were converted into vials which could be spent to craft any specific card you wanted. That meant a targeted deck was reachable without opening the exact card, which kept the game more approachable than pack luck alone would allow. Crystals, the paid currency, stopped being sold on 25 March 2026 when the shutdown was announced.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Shadowverse CCG combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forestcraft | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Swordcraft | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Runecraft | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Dragoncraft | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Shadowcraft | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Shadowverse CCG builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Storm followers | Storm let a follower attack the enemy Leader the turn it was played, which is how decks closed out a game through a stalled board. | Aggressive decks that need to finish before the opponent stabilises |
| Ward followers | Ward forced the opponent to attack that follower before they could touch anything else, including the Leader. | Control and midrange decks protecting a life total or a key follower |
| Bane followers | Bane destroyed any follower it dealt damage to in combat, regardless of the target's remaining defence. | Answering oversized followers without spending a removal spell |
| Spellboost cards | Spellboost tracked how many spells you had cast and reduced costs or improved effects accordingly. | Runecraft combo decks counting exact casts toward a single turn kill |
| Necromancy cards | Necromancy spent accumulated shadows, which were generated when your own followers died. | Shadowcraft decks turning early board losses into a mid game advantage |
Storm followers: Storm let a follower attack the enemy Leader the turn it was played, which is how decks closed out a game through a stalled board. Against a 20 defence Leader, a pair of Storm followers was frequently the whole win condition.
Ward followers: Ward forced the opponent to attack that follower before they could touch anything else, including the Leader. It was the primary defensive tool and the reason aggressive decks packed removal alongside their threats.
Bane followers: Bane destroyed any follower it dealt damage to in combat, regardless of the target's remaining defence. A cheap Bane follower answered an expensive threat, which kept big single card strategies honest.
Spellboost cards: Spellboost tracked how many spells you had cast and reduced costs or improved effects accordingly. It is the mechanic that defined Runecraft and the reason its decks read as unplayable in the opening hand and lethal by turn seven.
Necromancy cards: Necromancy spent accumulated shadows, which were generated when your own followers died. It rewarded trading rather than preserving a board, which is the opposite instinct to most card games.
Full breakdowns in our Shadowverse CCG weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Rotation ranked | Main competitive mode | Rank progression, seasonal rewards, the format most Grand Prix events used |
| Unlimited ranked | Veteran mode with a full collection | A separate rank ladder and the only place retired archetypes stayed playable |
| Take Two | Entry mode, no collection required | Packs and vials scaled to your win count |
| Take Two All Stars | Entry mode variant | Event specific rewards and a wider card pool than standard Take Two |
| Grand Prix | Competitive event mode | Substantial pack and vial payouts for advancing through the three stages |
Rotation ranked: The primary competitive format, restricted to the most recent card sets so older expansions dropped out over time. It was where the balance team's attention went and where tournament decks were built.
Unlimited ranked: Every card ever printed remained legal, which produced a much faster and more extreme format than Rotation. It rewarded veterans with deep collections and punished anyone bringing a Rotation deck into it by accident.
Take Two: The arena mode. You picked a craft and then built a deck by choosing one pair of cards from two options presented repeatedly, so collection size did not matter. It was the cheapest way for a new player to learn card interactions.
Take Two All Stars: A Take Two variant where you were given three random classes to choose from and built from that class plus Neutral cards. A related variant, Take Two Tactics, had you pick one of three random deck archetypes and then draft cards tied to that archetype across multiple classes.
Grand Prix: An online tournament run over three stages in the Arena, each with its own advancement conditions and a daily round limit. Grand Prix events ran in Throwback Rotation as well as Take Two, Take Two All Stars and Take Two Tactics formats.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- The original Shadowverse client is offline. Service ended at 7:00 pm Pacific on 30 June 2026, and the Steam store page for app 453480 now states the game is no longer available there.
- Accounts could not be linked to Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond after the shutdown, so a lapsed collection on the original client cannot be transferred now.
- Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond launched on 17 June 2025 for Steam, Epic Games Store, iOS and Android and is the direct successor. If you searched for Shadowverse and landed here, that is the game you want.
- Shadowverse: Evolve is the physical card game continuation, and it also outlived the original digital client.
- The turn structure gave the player going first two evolution points and the player going second three, with the second player able to evolve a turn earlier. Any strategy discussion that ignores that asymmetry is discussing a different game.
- Play points capped at ten and rose by one per turn with no resource cards in the deck, which is why Dragoncraft ramp was so much stronger here than equivalent strategies elsewhere.
- A 20 defence Leader is a short clock. Aggressive decks stayed relevant across nearly every expansion because twenty points is roughly four unanswered attacks.
- Take Two removed collection size from the equation entirely by having you draft from presented pairs, which is why it was the standard advice for a brand new account.
- Crystals stopped being sold on 25 March 2026, the day the shutdown was announced, and the final battle pass season, Season 23, began on 31 March 2026 with the Premium Pass given to every player.
- Almost every mechanic described here, including evolution points, play points and the craft structure, carried into Worlds Beyond, so the strategy reasoning transfers even though the client does not.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying or installing the original client in 2026. It is delisted from Steam and the servers are off, so there is nothing to connect to.
- Assuming a Shadowverse account carries over to Worlds Beyond. Cygames stated that once the servers shut down, accounts could no longer be linked across.
- Bringing a Rotation deck into Unlimited. Unlimited keeps every card ever printed legal and runs several turns faster, so a Rotation list simply loses before it functions.
- Ignoring evolution point counts when deciding whether to go first or second. Going second gives an extra point and an earlier evolve turn, which changes which deck you should bring.
- Opening packs hoping for a specific card instead of converting duplicates to vials and crafting it directly. Vial crafting was always the faster route to a specific list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still play Shadowverse CCG?
No. Cygames ended service at 7:00 pm Pacific on 30 June 2026, roughly ten years after the original launch, and the Steam page for app 453480 states the game is no longer available on the store.
What replaced it?
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, the direct successor, which launched on 17 June 2025 on Steam, the Epic Games Store, iOS and Android. Shadowverse: Evolve, the physical card game, also continues.
Did my collection transfer?
No. Cygames stated that once the servers shut down, accounts could not be linked to Worlds Beyond and the original game could not be accessed.
What were the eight classes?
Forestcraft, Swordcraft, Runecraft, Dragoncraft, Shadowcraft, Bloodcraft, Havencraft and Portalcraft, with Portalcraft added later in the game's life. Decks combined one class with Neutral cards.
How did evolution work?
Evolving a follower granted bonus stats and often an extra effect at the cost of one evolution point. The player going first had two points, the player going second had three, and the second player could evolve one turn earlier.
More Shadowverse CCG Guides
- Shadowverse CCG Best Builds
- Shadowverse CCG Tier List
- Shadowverse CCG Walkthrough
- Shadowverse CCG Beginner's Guide
- Shadowverse CCG Tips & Tricks
- Shadowverse CCG Weapons Guide
- Shadowverse CCG Combat Guide
- Shadowverse CCG Boss Guide
- Shadowverse CCG Maps & Locations
- Shadowverse CCG Crafting Guide
- Shadowverse CCG Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Shadowverse CCG, check out these related guides:
- Slay the Spire Guide: card-game game with similar mechanics
- Balatro Guide: card-game game with similar mechanics
- Sultan's Game Guide: card-game game with similar mechanics
