MTG: Everything Magic: The Gathering announced at GenCon 2023
The MTG panel at GenCon 2023 laid out almost everything coming to Magic: The Gathering in the next couple of years.
Wizards of the Coasts held a panel at GenCon 2023, which saw the world of Magic: The Gathering get several new major additions and some fan-favorite returns.
The path that WOTC is carving for MTG is looking like a major refresh to the storied game. While iconography, magical elements, and more are all still staying put, the game is introducing a fresh take on classic genres.
Final Fantasy, Fallout & Assassin’s Creed all coming to Magic: The Gathering
Firstly, and the biggest elephant in the room: Final Fantasy is getting its own fully-fledged Universes Beyond set. Similar in scope to Lord of the Rings, it plans to launch in 2025.
The video game crossovers don’t stop there. Fallout is coming to Commander, in a similar fashion to Warhammer and Doctor Who. You can find out more about that elsewhere on the site.
Along with this, a brief glimpse at the upcoming collaboration with Assassin’s Creed was shown off. This will not be a set, or even a Commander deck. Instead, you’ll have to get all the new “Beyond Booster”, which takes you through that universe’s story. MTG will see all 11 main story games for Assassin’s Creed be explored through the cards inside the boosters.
Jurassic Park coming to MTG
Aside from a tiny tidbit about the next Eldraine set launching the next storyline, we didn’t get all that much about the 2023 sets this time. Though, something coming to The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is a heavier emphasis on the inhabiting lizards.
The movie crossovers and alternative card art are returning after the Godzilla cards in Ikoria. This time, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, a dinosaur, pirate, and vampire-themed world, will be getting Jurassic Park alternatives to cards featured in the set.
How this worked in Ikoria, and with things like the Street Fighter Secret Lair, the themed card will be identical to an MTG in-world one. The name of the original card will be printed underneath and will function exactly the same.
Though it appears that MTG will be following the Transformers method, by introducing mechanically unique cards within Set and Collector boosters.
MTG goes back to Ravnica
Characters like Kaya look like they are returning to RavnicaBack in the MTG universe, Wizards showed off several new sets, including a brand new look at another return to Ravnica.
Not only is the plane getting its own remastered set, but will introduce the latest set based on the plane, Murders at Karlov Manor. You can read more about the latest return to Ravnica and the upcoming MTG-themed version of Clue.
Modern Horizons 3
Modern fans, rejoice or brace yourselves, as Modern Horizons 3 is landing in 2024. The Modern Horizons sets are a straight-to-Modern collection, featuring key reprints and brand-new cards to offset the delicate balance Modern players have crafted.
Wizards are promising returns of fan favorites, as well as double-faced cards and Planeswalkers. One of the images showed the looming threat of the Eldrazi, including Emrakul. Could we be seeing a reprint of Emrakul the Aeons Torn, or will she come in her The Promised End form?
They will also be bringing to the set to MTGA for the first time.
Outside of reprints and returns, Wizards followed up on their teasers for upcoming sets from a few weeks ago.
Throughout 2024, three of some of the more unique ideas to grace MTG in the last few years will be hitting shelves.
Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Outlaws of Thunder Junction is a Western-themed set, which promises to bring “Magic’s most notorious villains” and a reimagining of the Western genre.
Bloomburrow
The Wild West will be a first for Magic, as will Bloomburrow. Fans suspected that a return to Lorwyn was on the cards, but Bloomburrow is said to be a brand-new plane without any humans whatsoever.
Instead, its inhabitants, like squirrels, mice, and frogs will take center stage.
Duskmourn: House of Horror
Lastly, MTG is bringing 1980s horror to the game with Duskmourn: House of Horror. Despite being a little late to the party, from what we’ve seen, Magic’s version brings the grimness missing from something like Stranger Things. Though, we did notice a PK Meter from Ghostbusters in the art, making us think that MTG might be stepping out of the high fantasy world for this one.
A peek into MTG’s future
The sets weren’t the only thing shown off, as concept art for upcoming planned sets, presumably in 2026, was shown.
Tennis, Ultimate, and Volleyball are the codenames for the sets. While a little abstract, the art does hint that MTG is about to go places fans never thought it’d go.
Magic gets its own Whacky Races with Tennis
Let’s start with Tennis, which appears to be focusing on Vehicles. The artifacts haven’t been the true focus of a set since they launched in Khaladesh, and Tennis looks to be going down the road of car combat.
Vehicles are great fun in MTG, and the thought of a ghost piloting a jeep is an incredible image to conjure in the mind. Apparently, this will be an interplanar set, with a death race theme.
MTG Ultimate sends us back to Tarkir
Next, Ultimate is a return to the plane of Tarkir, which Wizards say is a cross between the Khans and Dragons set from the location’s original introduction.
MTG Volleyball announced
Lastly, Volleyball is the most outlandish. Magic is going to space, and according to the announcement will be a “space opera”.
It wouldn’t be the first time Magic has gone to space, but never in a “serious” environment. The last Un-set (MTG’s parody sets) was set in a theme park in space, with the iconic Planeswalker Jace Beleren, becoming Space Beleren.
MTG making huge changes in the next few years
This GenCon reveal of these potential 2025/2026 sets appears to be partially priming players for the major shift in tone coming to the game. With this in mind, it does appear that Mark Rosewater and the team behind the game aren’t ditching everything that made the game what it was.
Magic returning to Lorwyn
At the end of the panel, a set codenamed Wrestling was announced. This will be the first time fans can return to Lorwyn, which hasn’t been a focus since the 2007 sets. Two others, Yachting, see fans return to the post-March of the Machine Strixhaven plane, Arcavious. Second, Ziplining is the culmination of the story arc that’ll begin to crop up in the next few sets.