Most people play Magic because they enjoy the game, not because they are always offering new products each month to a different audience, and if we don't have time to process and enjoy the cards we've just received and purchased, how can we feel satisfied when there will be another product coming out in about three weeks or a month? Small local stores suffer as they can't capitalize on the latest release because while they're talking about Innistrad, Wizards is already talking about Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty or, even worse, Unfinity.Īnd, last but not least: This excess of announcements and products makes Magic seem so absurdly commercial that it is impossible for some players not to feel almost offended by the constant attempt to take a little more of their money., which creates a wear on the game's image. Of course, it is an efficient strategy to always keep players on the hype for the next release, but this also creates a strong feeling of exhaustion for both players and content creators who faithfully follow every news announced because there is not even time to explore and what work with the latest sets have to offer as the community is already hyped for the next product.Īs a whole, I feel that this strategy is harmful in the long run: players feel less interested in knowing about the newly released product or even knowing about the new announcement because it starts to lack meaning for them.

It's too much information and too many previews for the average player to be able to follow everything and, above all, enjoy and digest each new release. Unfinity (?), and only one or two weeks before we have the first previews of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. The problem is how they are practically bumping into each other: It's taken less than a month since Innistrad: Crimson Vow's release for us to have the first news about. In short, there is a product for every audience. There's also a huge share of players that could be much more in the hype for The Brothers' War, the set that will only be released at the end of the year, promising to be a retelling of one of the greatest events in the entire Magic: The Gathering's lore. Other players may be more interested in Streets of New Capenna because it's the only new plane we'll be visiting during 2022, or because the multicolored demon mafia theme draws attention, and the planeswalker Elspeth Tirel brings with her a legion of fans that follows her story since Theros first came out. For example, the Magic Showcase was a great way for us to know what to expect during this year, giving us information, so we could keep the hype going for any particular release slated for 2022, without specifically neglecting that each of them has its own merits and cater to a different portion of players.įor example, many players may be excited for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, whether for the nostalgia of returning to one of the game's most famous planes, or the 'reboot' that the new set brings to its lore, with an oriental cyberpunk theme. Overall, I believe that the way Wizards has come to advertise its products has great pros and cons. That is, when a publisher offer so many things that it becomes tiring or even impossible to keep track of everything. So far, we have for 2022, excluding Secret Lair releases, as these are released with virtually no warning until a week or two before pre-sales open, a total of at least eight products between Booster Sets and Pre-constructed decks that are not on the calendar of major releases, not to mention the possibility of other products being announced throughout the year, as has already occurred on other occasions during the past two years.īefore we talk about speculations, I would like to comment a bit on a recurring feeling that I have seen on social media and whose topic reappears occasionally with each new announcement: I call it 'product exhaustion', but I know there is a better name for it. Aren't spoilers and announcements coming out too quickly?

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