Magic: The Gathering Reveals 2021 Release Slate

On Tuesday, Wizards of the Coast revealed details for its upcoming slate of Magic: The Gathering releases through 2021. The Magic team previewed the upcoming Zendikar Rising set, which releases on Magic: The Gathering Arena September 17th and September 25th for tabletop play. It revealed new cards, new and returning card mechanics, and the set’s booster packs. The company also announced it would be collaborating with AMC’s The Walking Dead and K-Swiss, set names and graphics for 2021, and teased Magic: The Gathering Arena‘s release on mobile, and more. These announcements were part of the Zendikar Rising Debut Moment, a streamed event that offered Magic players a look at what’s ahead.

Zendikar Rising takes players back to the adventure world of Zendikar. Over 20 Zendikar Rising cards debuted today, including new Planeswalkers cards for Nahiri and Jace and the artwork for a new Nissa. Players also got a glimpse of returning gameplay mechanics Kicker and Landfall, as well as new ones: Party and Modal Double-Faced Cards. The team also previewed Booster Fun and Set Booster packs.

Then the Magic team revealed what’s next after Zendikar Rising. Here’s the list of sets coming to Magic: The Gathering in 2021:

• Kaldheim – Magic’s Viking world – Winter 2021
• Strixhaven – The most elite university in the Multiverse – Spring 2021
• Adventures in the Forgotten Realms – Dungeons & Dragons comes to Magic – Summer 2021
• Innistrad – Werewolves and Vampires are back – Fall 2021
• Time Spiral Remastered – Recapture the fun of a fan-favorite block
• Modern Horizons 2 – A follow-up to the Modern Horizons set

Kaldheim is a brand new world inspired by Viking culture. Strixhaven is also a new addition to the Magic multiverse, a school for wizards across the planes.

Though Wizards of the coast released Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks for Magic: The Gathering planes in the past, Adventures in the Forgotten Realms represents the first time the Dungeons & Dragons appears in Magic: The Gathering. The set focuses on the most popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, the home of popular characters such as Drizzt Do’ Urden, Elminster, and Minsc.

Innistrad is a returning setting inspired by Gothic horror that is home to humans, spirits, zombies, vampires, and werewolves, with those last two getting the spotlight this time around. Magic: The Gathering introduced the plane in the original Innistrad block of sets from 2011-2012, which included Innistrad, Dark Ascension, and Avacyn Restored. Magic: The Gathering returned to the world in the Shadows over Innistrad block from 2016, made up of the sets Shadows over Innistrad and Eldritch Moon.

At last check, the Eldrazi titan called Emrakul corrupted the plane after being summoned by Nahiri as vengeance against Sorin Markov, the vampiric Planeswalker from Innistrad. Though Emrakul was later banished, is presence drove the angels that watched over Innistrad insane and led to the creation of new monsters and cults across the plane.

What do you think of Magic: The Gathering‘s 2021 release schedule? Let us know in the comments.