In Magic the Gathering, both the set boosters and the draft variants are being crushed. Instead, there will be a completely new product called the Play Booster.
Wizards of the Coast are once again changing the range of boosters for Magic the Gathering, this time even significantly. Draft boosters and set boosters become a mixed product: the play boosters. The change will affect all markets, including the German one. The 36-piece booster box will then be sold at the same manufacturer's recommended price as the current set booster box. This corresponds to a price increase of around 20 percent compared to the Draft Booster.
Play booster with 15 cards
There are a total of 15 cards in one of the new play boosters, including common and uncommon cards as well as a basic land, followed by cards of higher rarity, including a foil. A type card that was previously included in the set boosters may also have been created.
According to Wizards of the Coast, one reason for the drastic change is that they want to achieve improvements in community play with the comparatively simple-sounding measure. Because: Set boosters are currently ensuring that draft boosters fade into the background - unintentionally. Magic the Gathering split a single booster into two parts with “Zendikar Rising” around five years ago, but beginners and occasional players in particular then mainly resorted to those packages that promised more rare cards.
Ultimately, this also applied to retailers, at least for those with limited display space on the shelves. And it can sometimes mean a financial loss for shops if they have to forego limited events, as Mark Rosewater from Wizards of the Coast explains. The less popular draft boosters are necessary for exactly this. To put it simply: If dealers receive too many draft boosters and not enough set boosters, customers are less likely to take out their wallets.
In addition, draft and set boosters were overall too similar, which would have led to confusion on the market. Ultimately, the fans simply confused the two boosters.
In the end, Wizards of the Coast wants to achieve one thing above all: combine the playing experience of a draft with the opening experience of a set booster.
The new Magic the Gathering play boosters will be introduced with what is now the 99th expansion, “Murders at Karlov Manor,” expected in February 2024.
# | Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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1 |
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Magic: The Gathering Foundation Starter Box (German Version) * |
29,99 EUR |
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2 |
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Magic: The Gathering – Assassin's Creed – Starter Pack |... * |
18,99 EUR |
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3 |
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Magic: The Gathering – Murder in Karlov Manor Bundle – 9... * |
50,85 EUR |
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4 |
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Magic The Gathering starter package 2022, 2 ready-to-play decks, 2... * | 25,99 EUR | ||
5 |
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Magic: The Gathering Bloomburrow Play Booster (14 Magic Cards)... * |
6,49 EUR |
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