Grab yourself a handful of Mana and cast your spells as we check out the upcoming MTG sets!
Debuting in 2023, Magic: The Gathering celebrated 2023 – its 30th anniversary year – with some of its biggest and most ambitious products ever.
Naturally, publishers Wizards of the Coast aren’t resting on their laurels when it comes to their release schedule for 2024.
Despite normally holding back plenty of details in the months before products are released, Wizards of the Coast chose to reveal a huge amount of information on 2024 sets – as part of their 30th Anniversary Presentation at Gen Con.
Which means we’ve got an awful lot of insight as to what’s in store for MTG fans in 2024 – and, though we may not see a set reach the level of mainstream excitement that Lord of the Rings: Adventures in Middle-Earth did in 2023 (for a long time, perhaps ever), there’s plenty to look forward to.
In fact, with more high profile Universes Beyond sets – the non-MTG multiverse branding that Lord of the Rings and 2023’s Doctor Who were part of, as just a few examples – on the way, we’re sure to see Magic: The Gathering’s audience of players and collectors widen even further.
So what’s coming up in 2024 for Magic: The Gathering?
Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
Magic: The Gathering Release Schedule 2024
Not including Secret Lair drops – which are limited edition, highly specialised and very small sets usually comprising around 6 cards, which are announced much closer to their pre-order dates and printed only to order – we know that there are ten major releases for MTG in 2024.
There’s also a significant change on the way when it comes to booster packs – but we’ll get to that!
Here’s the list as it stands right now – note that release dates are subject to change:
- Ravnica Remastered – January 12th, 2024
- Murders at Karlov Manor – February 9th, 2024
- Ravnica: Clue Edition – February 2024
- Fallout – March 8th, 2024
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction – Q2 2024
- Modern Horizons III – Q2 2024
- Assassin’s Creed – July 2024
- Bloomburrow – Q3 2024
- Duskmourn: House of Horror – Q3 2024
- Pioneer Masters – Q4 2024
Now let’s look at each product in order – and cover what we know (or don’t!) at this stage.
1. Ravnica Remastered – January 12th, 2024
One of the most popular settings in Magic: The Gathering, the plane of Ravnica first appeared way back in the Ravnica: City of Guilds set, in 2005.
Based around ten Guilds that each have their own abilities and/or keywords – as well as each being focused around a different pairing of two of Magic’s mana colours – Ravnica: City of Guilds was also the first set to feature hybrid mana costs and cards.
In line with previous Remastered sets, Ravnica Remastered is reprinting the most popular cards from the original Ravnica block.
It’ll feature cards from the aforementioned Ravnica: City of Guilds, along with cards from Return to Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance.
So – what do we know about what’s going to be included?
As seems to be customary any time we return to Ravnica, Shock Lands are coming back – with the full cycle included as part of the Ravnica Remastered release; there will even be full art variants too!
That’s not all – retro frame Shock Lands will also be part of the set, which is particularly exciting for old school MTG players.
Shock Lands aside, there will also be numerous Anime inspired art variants of more familiar cards – and more retro frame cards too!
2. Murders at Karlov Manor – February 9th, 2024
Hopefully you won’t be tired of Ravnica by the time that February’s set arrives – because Murders at Karlov Manor takes place on the same plane!
Yet Murders at Karlov Manor as the potential to be an incredibly interesting and unique set, despite its familiar (some would say over familiar) backdrop.
That’s because – as the set’s title implies – its story is themed around a murder mystery.
Quite how this seemingly small scale storyline will play out amidst the usual planar, or even multiversal, warfare that features as the backdrop for many MTG stories remains to be seen.
However, the few details we are privy to sound incredibly intriguing; for example, MTG Lead Designer Mark Rosewater has tantalisingly revealed that puzzles will apparently be solvable in game.
How that plays out or what effects that will have on MTG’s gameplay is unclear at this stage – but this is an exciting first ‘new’ set for 2024’s release schedule.
A big change is also coming to Magic: The Gathering as of the release of Murders at Karlov Manor – in the form of Play Boosters.
This is the biggest shake up of basic booster pack options for some time, with Play Boosters replacing Set and Draft Boosters.
Our sister site Card Gamer covered all of the details in their new MTG booster pack type article.
3. Ravnica: Clue Edition – February 2024
Clue – or Cluedo, as it’s known outside the US – is a classic, if dated, board game experience.
GIven that it’s played host to an awful lot of themes over the years, it’s perhaps a surprise that it’s taken this long for Magic: The Gathering to make it to the murder mystery game.
Yet we’re not sure if this Ravnica (again – 2024 is shaping up to be quite the year for Ravnica fans, right?) themed Clue is more MTG or just a Ravnica-skinned version of Clue itself; though, in fairness, the latter seems unlikely and this is, in fact, a new twist on multiplayer Magic: The Gathering.
As new details are revealed, we will of course share them with you, dear reader!
4. Fallout – March 8th, 2024
A Universes Beyond release with absolutely huge crossover potential – not unlike 2023’s Doctor Who decks and boosters – the Fallout products are certain to bring new fans over to Magic: The Gathering, especially as, in typical MTG fashion, the cards and special treatments show a clear knowledge of (and passion for) the source material.
Once more, our sister site – Card Gamer – has covered this release in an extensive article that features all currently revealed cards, as well as a spotlight on all of the different card treatments.
Take a look at our Magic: The Gathering Fallout Cards article for more details!
In summary though, what you’ll see when Fallout releases mirrors the Doctor Who products: four different, highly thematic Commander Decks and Collector Boosters that contain special, unique card treatments.
Alongside Pip Boy Showcase cards and Borderless, Full Art Vault Boy Cards, you’ll also find special Land cards that have an isometric viewpoint, reminiscent of the original PC Fallout games!
That’s not all; perhaps most excitingly – and again, similar to the Doctor cards that could be found in the Doctor Who set – Collector Boosters have a chance to contain a Serialized Bobblehead card too.
These are 7 different Vault Boy Bobblehead cards, each of which will only have 500 copies in existence – with the card’s number (ie XXX/500) printed directly on the card.
Though of course not as scarce as The One Ring card from Lord of the Rings – of which there was only one in existence, purchased by none other than Post Malone (from the lucky player who found it) for around $2,000,000 – these cards are still going to be highly sought after collector’s items!
5. Outlaws of Thunder Junction – Q2 2024
With the first few months of the year being focused seemingly entirely on Ravnica – aside from the Universes Beyond release of Fallout, of course – we have to wait until the second quarter of 2024 to venture to pastures new in Magic: The Gathering.
However, it certainly looks like it’ll be worth the wait, as Outlaws of Thunder Junction is taking us to the Wild West, via Magic: The Gathering – with a new steampunk/Weird West plane that’s unlike any we’ve seen before in MTG!
Though very little is known about this set at this stage, we do know that it’s going to feature bad guys from across the multiverse – so while the setting may be new, it’ll be stuffed with plenty of familiar faces to take on.
6. Modern Horizons III – Q2 2024
Another release due for the second quarter of 2024 (without a more concrete date in place at this stage), Modern Horizons III is, of course, the sequel to what is reportedly the best selling MTG set of all time: Modern Horizons II.
Though 2023’s Universes Beyond – Lord of the Rings: Adventures in Middle-Earth set is fast approaching that number one spot (at least according to a Hasbro Earnings Call in August), Modern Horizons II is, for now, the set to beat.
So what made it such a hit with players and collectors alike?
The Modern Horizons sets feature plenty of popular, extremely powerful cards from prior sets that have been long overdue a reprint – but also new (and strong!) cards designed to be played in the titular Modern format.
I guess the next question you may ask is: what exactly is Modern?
Well, there are numerous formats in which you can partake in games of Magic: The Gathering – with Modern being a format that allows players to use cards going way back to the early 00s in their decks.
Naturally, having cheaper access to versions of powerful cards that will be long out of print – and extremely expensive these days – is what pushes the popularity of the Modern Horizons sets.
Though little is known about specific cards that’ll be included in Modern Horizons III, one exciting detail we are aware of is the inclusion – for the first time in a Modern Horizons set – of double faced cards.
Sister site Card Gamer has the lowdown on these for you, with a handy guide on how to use double faced cards in Magic: The Gathering.
7. Assassin’s Creed – July 2024
Yep, we’re back in Universes Beyond territory for another video game crossover with the Assassin’s Creed set, due in July 2024.
This far out, we’re once again left with little to report on this one – however, very intriguingly, one thing we do know is that Assassin’s Creed will introduce a new type of booster pack (yes, another one!) known as the Beyond Booster.
So, what exactly are Beyond Boosters?
Well, what we do know – from Wizards of the Coast themselves – is that each Beyond Booster will take you on a journey that’s unique to its universe; in this case, of course, that’s Assassin’s Creed.
We also know that Assassin’s Creed is going to be a smaller set – though, again, the exact details of what this means (ie, exactly how small the set will be) remains to be seen.
We’re cautiously excited about the Assassin’s Creed set.
As long as Wizards of the Coast avoid the issues they saw with another release which had unique boosters and a very small set (2023’s controversial March of the Machine: Aftermath), this does have the potential to draw in new players and pique the interest of MTG fans too.
8. Bloomburrow – Q3 2024
Another set heading into new territory for MTG, Bloomburrow looks just about as cosy as it can be – considering it’s in a game centred around warring wizards.
A whimsical setting, featuring anthropomorphic animals – and seemingly no humans at all – Bloomburrow is also kicking off a new storyline, the Dragonstorm Arc.
Beyond that, we know nothing about this set – which is due to release in the third quarter of 2024.
9. Duskmourn: House of Horror – Q3 2024
Also arriving in the third quarter of 2024 is this horror themed set, which takes us to another entirely new MTG plane.
Duskmourn: House of Horror continues the Dragonstorm Arc which begins in the much more whimsical and friendly-looking Bloomburrow set.
Heavily inspired by modern horror – think Stephen King and Stranger Things – further details on Duskmourn: House of Horror’s cards and mechanics are so far stuck in the Upside Down.
However, as release approaches, we’ll make sure to update you on the full terror that can be found within this scary new set and its unusual contemporary horror plane.
10. Pioneer Masters – Q4 2024
Lastly, we’ve also seen Pioneer Masters announced for the final quarter of 2024.
Unlike 2023’s Commander Masters – which caused an awful lot of controversy with its inflated pricing model – Pioneer Masters is said to be launching as a digital set only, via MTG Arena.
We’re so ahead of this news that – as you’ll see from the image above – there’s no logo or other imagery from Wizards of the Coast, so instead we’ve opted to show you the 2022 Pioneer decks!
Pioneer is another format within MTG that allows for a wide range of older cards to be used – in this case, it’s expanded to include sets from 2012 – as well as having no restrictions on deck size.
The Pioneer format also allows for a sideboard of up to 15 cards to be used.
Pioneer Masters was originally due to release physically, but after many delays it seems to have now shifted to a digital-only release – with the cards now being released on MTG Arena at the end of 2024.
If you’re preparing to get the best upcoming MTG sets, then you’ll need to get the best Magic the Gathering sleeves to keep them protected while you play!
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Jason – who lives in the UK – has had a lifelong interest in video games, which all started when he discovered Space Invaders in the early 80s. The first game he ever completed was Wonder Boy in Monster Land on the Sega Master System – which remains one of his proudest gaming achievements. Jason is a passionate writer – and has been writing about gaming since the late 90s. He currently runs pop culture blog midlifegamergeek.com, which he updates on a daily basis (and has written more than 700 articles on the blog alone!).
Outside of video games, Jason is a keen tabletop gamer, film buff and comic book fan.
