Kara Dennison
July 5, 2024 
Magia Record is behind us, but Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Magia Exedra is on the horizon. And we have questions. Then again, we always have questions about Madoka Magica-related media. Ever since the tonal whiplash of episode 3 and the realization that Gen Urobuchi was at the wheel, this seemingly sweet magical girl show has been a roller coaster ride. And the new game installment promises to be no different.
We’re sure that, as we actually play the game, we’ll have lots more questions. But based on information from the trailers alone, here’s what has us curious so far:
Who Are We?
The core conceit of Magia Exedra is that we are a former Magical Girl who has lost her memories. Moreover, she’s lost everything about herself, represented by the shadowy little cipher above. Known only as “Name,” we are called to a lighthouse to unlock Magical Girl memories.
From a storytelling perspective, this is a great way to introduce a player character. Whether we will be designing our character over time or unlocking her true form, we’ve yet to see. But we are very intrigued to find out if Name will end up being our own customizable magical girl, a character we already know, or someone entirely new.
What Timeline Is This?
On the surface, Magia Exedra seems to follow on from Magia Record. After all, Iroha was introduced alongside Madoka as a major character. And Iroha’s story takes place along a very specific timeline with very specific mechanics. But the sheer number of magical girls we see, and the sources from which they appear to hail, would imply that this can’t be just the Magia Record timeline.
Are we on a different timeline? Are we perhaps outside time, with the stories of every magical girl in the franchise available for perusal? Madoka and Iroha do appear to be somewhat outside everything in their animated trailer; perhaps they’re looking across the magical multiverse. But only time will tell.
What Does This New Kyubey Want?
Magia Exedra, naturally, has its own Kyubey: a green one who goes by A-Q. Now, we’ve learned our lesson, and we distrust all Kyubey iterations pretty much on sight. So the question isn’t whether A-Q is trustworthy (probably not); the answer is, why is A-Q here helping Name collect memories? Could this be a rare, benevolent Kyubey? Or are we aiding in yet another horrible deadly plan?
As an aside, we haven’t forgotten that the name “Kyubey” comes from the word “Incubator.” With that in mind, “A-Q” could be a clue. In Japanese, that’s pronounced the same as eikyuu, which is the word for eternity or permanence. Is that anything, or are we barking up the wrong tree?
Fans outside Japan can wishlist Magia Exedra on Steam right now!
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