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Wizard 101 is one of the longest-running MMOs still going today. But for most of its 17-year history, the game has been available on PC only. In 2025, Wizard 101 finally expanded to a console audience via Xbox and then PlayStation. But magic school fans on Nintendo Switch were left hanging, until now. On January 13th, Wizard 101 is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch. However, this console version will look a little bit different from what’s available on Xbox and PlayStation.
Free-to-Start MMORPG Wizard 101 Will Have a Pricetag from Day 1 on Switch
Wizard 101 remains popular for its blend of magic RPG and deckbuilding mechanics. It brings players into The Spiral, an ever-growing universe full of potent magic. The general gameplay involves attending Ravenwood School of Magical Arts to hone your magical abilities through turn-based card battles. Along the way, you just might help save the world, right alongside other powerful wizards. And like any good MMO, there are plenty of downtime activities to enjoy, including hatching pets, crafting items, gardening, and fishing.
Like many popular MMOs, Wizard 101 is generally free-to-play up to a certain point. Since 2019, players have been able to download the game and play through its first world free of charge. This is only around 3-4 hours of content, depending on your gameplay speed. So, it’s not really a free-to-play title as much as it is an extended demo. Even so, this option to play the first world for free carried over from PC to Xbox and PlayStation when it released on those platforms last year. For the Nintendo Switch release, however, it looks like Kings Isle is trying a slightly different approach.
On other platforms, gamers can try the first world for free. After that, additional story content comes at the cost of a monthly subscription or Arc Access Pass for console. A monthly subscription, which gets you access to new story arcs and worlds as they release, is $10 a month. Meanwhile, bundles like the Arc 1 Access Pass typically include a bundle of specific stories and worlds as a one-time purchase. The Nintendo Switch edition of Wizard 101 will follow a similar model, but it looks like it’s skipping the free-to-start element.
