Summary
- Vanguard Exiles, by Richard Garfield, moves away from Magic: The Gathering’s gameplay style to explore auto battlers.
- Early access for Vanguard Exiles starts March 11, 2025, focusing on PvP, couch co-op, and community feedback.
- The game is described as “massively modular,” featuring a steampunk-inspired 2D art style and a deploy-and-capture system.
Vanguard Exiles, the latest game from the creator of Magic: The Gathering, will be entering early access on March 11. Richard Garfield has previously collaborated with gaming studios on board game-inspired titles like Kard Combat. However, this new project stands out as it moves away from Magic: The Gathering’s gameplay style, bringing Garfield’s vision to an entirely new genre: auto battlers.
Explaining his decision to explore the auto battler genre, Richard Garfield said, “[Auto battlers] fill this hole in my digital gaming.” He noted that while they share familiar mechanics with board games, they still offer a fresh experience. Garfield made these remarks in an interview with Australia’s Zed Games without discussing the game’s release date or launch details. However, following the interview, the game’s developer, The Tea Division, confirmed Vanguard Exiles’ early access launch date.
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According to the development team, Vanguard Exiles’ early access begins on March 11, 2025. The official roadmap confirms that players will have access to PvP and couch co-op modes, along with new units, factions, and zones. The early access phase is expected to last between six months to a year, with community feedback playing a key role in refining the game’s mechanics. Gameplay-wise, Vanguard Exiles follows a deploy-and-capture system, where players place units in different areas to strategically eliminate enemy troops and take control of zones. As they progress, unlocking more powerful units with Gold lets them fight on larger maps against stronger enemies.
Richard Garfield’s New Game Is a ‘Massively Modular’ Title
Based on what Richard Garfield and The Tea Division have revealed, Vanguard Exiles is designed as a “massively modular game” featuring a steampunk-inspired 2D art style. The modular elements are zones, factions, units, and actions, which interact to create RNG-driven battle outcomes. So, while the core objective is straightforward—deploy units in zones and conquer them—the numerous variables in each match turn Vanguard Exiles into a rather hardcore strategy game.
Players eager to try Vanguard Exiles for free can download its demo on Steam, available since August 2024. This offers a chance to preview the gameplay before early access. The Tea Division will also showcase Vanguard Exiles during February’s Steam Next Fest, giving fans a glimpse of exclusive content ahead of the launch. It’s worth noting that the game’s early access and final pricing haven’t been disclosed, but based on other auto battlers on Steam, it’s expected to fall within the $15 to $20 range.
Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Designer
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Richard Garfield
- Player Count
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2+
- Age Recommendation
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13+