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 walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Rotation ranked | Twenty defence leader life total basics | Swordcraft | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Unlimited ranked | Play Points ramping to ten mastery | Swordcraft | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Take Two | Evolution Points + gear | Forestcraft or Swordcraft | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Take Two All Stars | Build optimization | Forestcraft | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Grand Prix | Min-max | Forestcraft or Shadowcraft | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (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.
Level/Difficulty: Main competitive mode Key Rewards: Rank progression, seasonal rewards, the format most Grand Prix events used
What to Do in Rotation ranked
- Learn 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. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Swordcraft as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Ward followers or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Twenty defence leader life total fundamentals
- Swordcraft selected and functional
- Rotation ranked main content cleared
- Ready for Unlimited ranked
Phase 2: Early Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Veteran mode with a full collection Key Rewards: A separate rank ladder and the only place retired archetypes stayed playable
What to Do in Unlimited ranked
- Work on 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. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Ward followers if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Accounts could not be linked to Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond after the shutdown, so a lapsed collection on the original client cannot be transferred now.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Take Two.
- Consider whether Forestcraft might suit your playstyle better than Swordcraft.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Play Points ramping to ten integrated into gameplay
- Ward followers acquired
- Unlimited ranked fully cleared
- Ready for Take Two
Phase 3: Mid Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Entry mode, no collection required Key Rewards: Packs and vials scaled to your win count
What to Do in Take Two
- Master Evolution Points. The Evolve mechanic granted a played follower bonus stats and often an extra effect, at the cost of one evolution point. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Storm followers. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Eight class crafts plus Neutral for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Evolution Points mastered
- Storm followers acquired or in progress
- Take Two fully cleared
- Ready for Take Two All Stars
Phase 4: Late Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Entry mode variant Key Rewards: Event specific rewards and a wider card pool than standard Take Two
What to Do in Take Two All Stars
- Finalize your build. You should be running Forestcraft or Swordcraft with optimized gear.
- Storm followers should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Shadowverse: Evolve is the physical card game continuation, and it also outlived the original digital client.
- Vials and card crafting optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Grand Prix.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Storm followers upgraded to max
- Take Two All Stars fully cleared
- Ready for Grand Prix
Phase 5: Endgame (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.
Level/Difficulty: Competitive event mode Key Rewards: Substantial pack and vial payouts for advancing through the three stages
What to Do in Grand Prix
- Grand Prix tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run Grand Prix, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Shadowcraft for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Vials and card crafting mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Grand Prix fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Shadowverse CCG Guides
- Shadowverse CCG Shadowverse CCG Overview
- Shadowverse CCG Best Builds
- Shadowverse CCG Tier List
- 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
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