Magic: The Gathering players have already been introduced to a record number of new products in 2020, but Wizards of the Coast still has one more to share with fans of the CCG before the year is out. Beginning with Zendikar Rising later this month – and continuing for all subsequent Standard releases, assuming the experiment proves successful – so-called Set Boosters will be available to buy alongside the usual draft and collector’s boxes and feature contents not available anywhere else.
The target audience for these mid-range packs, so to speak, is fans with either no interest in Limited (sealed) or premium-priced bundles (collector’s editions) first printed with last year’s Throne of Eldraine and unlike the former, Set Boosters come with a trimmed down 12 playable Magic cards and 14 in total. One of these, as previously revealed, is an art card similar to those seen in Modern Horizons, while the latter, as confirmed today, will be a minigame card.
Check out the gallery below for an idea of what they’ll look like:
As described by Annie Sardelis over on Wizards’ blog, the idea for minigames came from the 2019 Hackathon and were pitched as an activity able to be played with just one booster pack and by those who perhaps had no prior knowledge of Magic at all. Judging by the examples provided, both goals appear to have been met, with the likes of Base Race and Roil Royale, among others, serving as a neat entry point for newcomers to get their friends into the wider game.
That’s the intention, at least. Whether the latest addition to Magic: The Gathering‘s expansive range of products proves popular enough to stick around remains to be seen, but early signs are definitely promising.
Zendikar Rising is out tomorrow, September 17th for Arena and one week later for tabletop.
