Introduction
We'll be looking into the differences between Shadownverse: Worlds Beyond and Shadowverse OG. The new game will be going LIVE on 17th June 2025 worldwide and we're here to help new players, returning players, and Shadowverse OG players who will be crossing to play Worlds Beyond. There are plenty of changes revealed AND to be expected but we're just going to discuss five (5) of them in this article.
Evolution and Super Evolution
Evolution is perhaps the most significant change and defining mechanic in Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond. Every follower in Shadowverse can evolve, and this remains true in Worlds Beyond. However, there are several key updates to how evolution works.
Instead of each follower having unique evolution stats, evolution has been standardized to +2/+2 for all followers. Evolved followers still gain Rush, allowing them to attack enemy followers the same turn they’re played.
The major addition is Super Evolution—a more powerful version of evolution. Super-evolved followers receive +3/+3 and Rush, and gain two powerful new effects: they become undamageable and indestructible during your turns. Additionally, when a super-evolved follower destroys an enemy follower, it deals 1 point of follow-through damage to the enemy leader.
Some followers have abilities that only activate upon Super Evolution. When you super-evolve a follower using a Super Evolution Point, it also triggers any standard evolution effects they may have.
Another change is the evolution point system. Previously, the first player received 2 evolution points, while the second received 3. Now, both players receive 2 evolution points and 2 super evolution points.
However, the timing of when evolution becomes available still differs:
- The second player unlocks Evolution on turn 4 and Super Evolution on turn 6.
- The first player unlocks Evolution on turn 5 and Super Evolution on turn 7.
Supported Languages
During the Special Update Livestream, the developers revealed the languages that Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond will support—and to the surprise of many, German, French, and Spanish were notably absent.
This is a major disappointment, especially given the passionate Shadowverse communities in regions like Europe and South America. Losing support for these languages could significantly impact the game's growth in those areas. For many players, language accessibility is a key factor in whether they can fully engage with the game.
In particular, this could hurt Worlds Beyond's reach in South America, where Spanish is the dominant language. If enough players are excluded due to this limitation, it may even lead to structural changes—such as a potential merging of the SVO West region with Southeast Asia or Oceania. This would be especially impactful since many top competitive players currently come from the SVO West region.
In Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, Bloodcraft and Shadowcraft have been merged into a single class: Abysscraft (known as Nightmare in the Japanese version). This merger makes some sense, as both classes shared dark, gothic aesthetics and overlapping themes. However, one valid concern among players is that, so far, the revealed cards for Abysscraft seem to lean more heavily toward Shadowcraft’s identity, with less emphasis on Bloodcraft's unique mechanics.
Abysscraft Introduced in Worlds Beyond
Abysscraft draws elements from both original classes, combining graveyard manipulation, self-damage effects, and aggressive pressure into one archetype. The class is expected to showcase a blend of tempo control, risk-reward mechanics, and sacrifice-based strategies.
In the physical card game, Shadowverse: Evolve, Abysscraft has already established itself with a distinct playstyle. It’s known for aggressive strategies that reduce the player’s own defense to secure fast kills, as well as hand discard mechanics that disrupt opponents. Several archetypes have emerged in Evolve, including:
- Control Abysscraft
- Aggro Abysscraft
- Crimson Aggro
- Vampire Bat builds
- Machina Abysscraft
As the digital version of Abysscraft develops in Worlds Beyond, players are eager to see whether Bloodcraft’s mechanics—like Vengeance and self-damage synergies—will receive more representation in future sets, or if the class will remain Shadowcraft-dominant.
Mulligan Changes from Shadowverse OG
The mulligan phase—the part of the game where players choose to redraw cards from their opening hand—has received some important updates in Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond.
In the original Shadowverse, both players could mulligan up to three cards from their initial hand. After that, the first player would draw one card on their first turn, while the second player would draw two cards, offering a small advantage to compensate for going second.
In Worlds Beyond, this system has been standardized. Now, both players can mulligan up to four cards, and each player draws one card at the start of their first turn. This change makes the opening phase more consistent and balanced, reducing early-game variance while maintaining fairness between both player's first turns.
Game Economy Changes in Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond
One of the most controversial changes in Worlds Beyond is the restriction on card liquefaction. Unlike the original Shadowverse, where you could liquefy any card for vials (used to craft new cards), Worlds Beyond only allows players to liquefy cards beyond a full playset—that is, only your fourth copy and beyond.
This change aims to prevent new players from making mistakes like liquefying powerful cards they might regret losing later. However, it also penalizes experienced players who understand card value and want to optimize their collection early. According to the developers, the old system led players to liquidate cards from unused classes, making it difficult to explore other deck archetypes later on. This new limitation is meant to encourage players to try out a wider variety of classes and decks.
On top of that, early calculations suggest that players will earn fewer vials overall compared to the original game. That said, the developers have introduced several features that may offset this shift:
- A daily free pack replaces the usual 20–30 gold from login bonuses.
- 10 free packs will be given out with each set release.
- Guaranteed legendary card for every 10 packs opened.
- Pre-registration rewards, missions for unlocking pre-built decks, and standard quests for additional resources.
Closing
That wraps up our overview of the major differences between Shadowverse OG and the upcoming Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond! We’ll be updating our tier list, deck collections, and card library throughout the weeks as more information becomes available.
Be sure to bookmark our website and check back regularly for the latest updates, strategies, and insights as we dive deeper into the next era of Shadowverse.
