ARC-V is on its way to Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links later this month, and is bringing with it the much-aniticipated Pendulum Summoning mechanic.
The update, scheduled to launch on September 28, will add in ARC-V's Yuya Sakaki, Zuzu Boyle, Gong Strong and Sylvio Sawatari, their decks, and their 'ace monsters' (Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei and Abyss Actor – Superstar, respectively). Also teased at the end of the trailer was ARC-V's Kaiba-like tritagonist, Declan Akaba, though which of his D/D/D Monsters will serve as his 'ace' wasn't revealed.
Along with the characters, the introduction of ARC-V also means that Pendulum Summoning is finally making its way to Duel Links. Pendulum Summoning is a special way to summon monsters that requires you have two monsters in your Pendulum Zone, each with their own Pendulum Scale. Once both zones are full, you can then summon as many monsters from either your hand or face-up in your extra deck as you like, as long as they're within the pendulum scale set. For example, if one Pendulum monster has a scale of one, and another of 13, you can summon as many other Pendulum monsters from levels two to 12 as you can fit on the field.
Duel Links is a free-to-play digital version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG that positions itself as a more beginner-friendly introduction to the series. However, it is somewhat behind the cards, featuring only mechanics up to ARC-V. Despite that, it continues to be a popular way to play the game, and is notably the only way to play on mobile devices.
ARC-V was one of the most interesting (read: buck wild) instalments of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, which is saying something in a franchise that at one stage featured card games on motorcycles as a key feature. It focused on Yuya, a "Dueltainer" – somebody who combines duelling with circus-like performances – as he tried to become the best of the best. On his journey, discovered three different parallel dimensions, whose major differences are how they can summon monsters while Duelling, and ran into his alternate-reality counterparts along the way. Yu-Gi-Oh! has always been a bit weird, but ARC-V took that weirdness and ran with it.
Duel Links is available on PC and mobile. ARC-V will be added in a free update on September 28.