2018 is fully planned out
The line between covering Magic the Gathering as a card game and as a video game are blurring, thanks to the upcoming release of Arena, now in beta.
While Wizards of the Coast has stumbled in the past with getting out a more digestible form of Magic (Magic the Gathering Online, or MTGO, is a bit esoteric for the general public, and the Duels games never really took off) — allowing developers like Blizzard to jump in and eat their lunch with games like Hearthstone. So far Arena is different though, and manages to capture Magic in a pretty no-nonsense format, complete with both constructed and limited concessions.
It’s also getting new sets of cards at the same time as the paper version, as evidenced by the recent simultaneous release of Dominaria, Wizards’ best-selling set in years. They’re going to try to recreate that magic with a return to Ravnica, which will host three sets alongside of a storyline featuring a “final” battle with the evil Nicol Bolas. First up is Guilds of Ravnica in October, following up July’s 2019 release, then there’s Ravnica Allegiance in January 2019, and another unannounced set, presumably in April.
Folks may remember Ravnica, the European-themed city planet, from 2005 and 2012. Wizards is no doubt hoping that the whole “return to an older fan favorite” plane will boost them to Dominaria heights, though some are already firing back that this is kind of overkill. The 2012 block was even called “Return to Ravnica.”
Either way this new block will spice the meta up with more cards, especially since four whole sets are going bye-bye in September, rotating out of standard (Wizard’s premiere competitive format) play. Until we hear otherwise, these new sets will debut in Arena date-and-day.
2018 Spring Announcement [Magic]
