The Current State of Magic the Gathering
Over the past couple of years, Wizards of the Coast has implemented significant changes to their flagship game, Magic: The Gathering. In the past, Magic releases followed a predictable pattern. Each year brought a set number of blocks or groups of sets with cohesive themes. The characters depicted in card artwork were either original or drawn from Magic’s extensive lore. The art itself was known for its originality, high quality, and use of traditional artistic techniques. Standard, which used to be Magic’s flagship format, comprised a maximum of seven sets. However, these times have evolved, and Magic has become more profitable than ever. The question that arises is whether these changes are truly beneficial for the game.
The new block format
For many years, the format in which Magic: The Gathering sets were released followed a distinct pattern. Sets were organized into blocks, each consisting of three sets with a particular theme. As the block unfolded, players could glean story elements from flavor text and card artwork, offering glimpses into a deeper narrative. This approach created excitement around the release of new cards that harkened back to old characters from Magic’s rich history. Personally, I was enamored with this method of designing sets and enjoyed immersing myself in each theme or setting.
However, this traditional set design approach has now been replaced. Sets are predominantly stand-alone, with their themes confined to a single set. Consequently, the concept of blocks has essentially disappeared. While an older block like the original Kamigawa comprised three sets, teeming with cards and captivating story interactions, the new Kamigawa Neon Dynasty is just a single set. This shift meant that many old characters and themes that players were eagerly anticipating were omitted from the set. This is disappointing because I, like many others, was looking forward to the return of some beloved cards and playstyles. It also meant that the lore behind the new set was not as fully developed as it could have been.
This new format feels like a missed opportunity. In the original Kamigawa set, there were mechanics like bushido. While not the most powerful mechanic, it hasn’t seen much use since. Wizards could have introduced cards in the new Kamigawa set that enhanced bushido in intriguing ways. Consider cards that provided bonuses when bushido was activated or triggered additional abilities that stacked with bushido. However, the new set largely disregarded this old mechanic, leaving those hoping to bolster their samurai decks in the lurch.
Another example is the old “splice into arcane” mechanic. The original Kamigawa set allowed players to combine spells to create more potent ones. Imagine if there were new cards in Neon Dynasty that provided buffs to your spells when spliced spells. Yet again, this promising mechanic was left unexplored in the new set, resulting in a sense of missed potential.
The new art style
My next concern with the newer Magic cards released in recent years pertains to their art style. For a significant stretch of time, all the art featured on Magic cards was crafted by dedicated artists with years of experience in their craft. The majority of this art was created on canvas and had the ability to stand alone as a work of art. While it’s not fair to say that all the new Magic cards have subpar art, the vast majority are now produced digitally. This shift to digital art often leaves me with a sense of unease and raises questions about whether the art was genuinely crafted by a human artist, occasionally giving off an impression of AI-generated art.
This transition to digital art is disappointing for me, as the artwork on Magic cards has always been one of the most compelling aspects of the game and has held a special place in my heart for most of my life.
The change to standard
During my peak as a Magic: The Gathering player in college, I was fortunate to have a local game store within walking distance of the school. Those days were spent either participating in drafts, trading cards with friends, or competing in standard tournaments. However, in recent years, the state of Magic’s premier competitive format, Standard, has experienced a significant decline. While part of this can be attributed to the challenges posed by Covid-19, it’s disheartening for someone like me who enjoyed the Standard format.
This decline may not solely be Covid’s fault, as Wizards of the Coast’s actions and decisions regarding MTG Arena might also be contributing factors. Wizards has taken a surprising step that I never anticipated: the creation of cards exclusive to the digital format. This decision has given rise to a completely new format unique to MTG Arena, known as Alchemy. Alchemy is essentially a version of Standard with a digital twist, introducing digital-only cards and even altering the text on some cards already present in the Standard format.
While this approach might seem like it has potential benefits, it has, in fact, divided the Standard player base, creating internal competition within the format itself. This internal divide, rather than the digital/physical separation, has not been conducive to revitalizing the once-dominant Standard format.
Universes Beyond
My final grievance about the current state of Magic: The Gathering pertains to the widespread inclusion of multiple intellectual properties (IPs). Today, Magic cards are based on characters from Street Fighter, Transformers, Warhammer, Doctor Who, and numerous other franchises. This trend has essentially transformed Magic: The Gathering into the Fortnite of card games, which was underscored by the release of actual Fortnite cards in a recent Secret Lair offering. Wizards of the Coast refers to this new practice of incorporating different IPs as “Universes Beyond” and has been increasing the frequency of these sets with each passing year.
As a devoted Magic fan, Universes Beyond has me deeply concerned. The integration of so many external IPs into MTG has had the effect of diluting Magic’s own intellectual property. This gives the impression that Wizards may lack confidence in their own ability to craft compelling lore and cohesive themes. Magic: The Gathering boasts a rich history, a multitude of iconic characters, and fascinating thematic elements. It’s disappointing to see these strengths underutilized. Instead of creating Fortnite cards, Wizards should be enhancing their own IP. I can’t help but feel that characters like Urza and Yawgmoth belong in Fortnite, not the other way around.
The future of Magic: The Gathering might not align precisely with the vision I had as a first-grader player, but there is a glimmer of hope. There have been indications that Wizards is working on a television show based on Magic’s own lore. While I may not be overly optimistic about the show’s potential greatness, it does provide a ray of hope that Magic may strive to assert itself and establish its own unique identity in the future.
