Wizards announced a ton of things at Gen Con and plenty of that will impact Magic: The Gathering Arena. Much of what was is far off in Arena’s future, with some far-reaching updates, like the release of Pioneer on Arena, won’t be realized until the end of 2024 but this is still a great roadmap for players to see what is coming in the near future.
Khans of Tarkir Comes To Arena This Year
One of the most popular planes Magic has visited in recent years is coming to Arena with the release of Khans of Tarkir.
This release is slightly different than how Magic has gone about it before, Khans of Tarkir is not a remastered set like Shadows Over Innistrad Remastered, which included cards from both Shadows Over Innistrad and Eldritch Moon. Instead, the Khans of Tarkir release will exclusively contain cards from that one set.
There is no release date for now so players will just have to stay tuned for more information as Wizards of the Coast reveals more throughout the year.
Pioneer and Pioneer Masters Debut in 2024
The Arena-exclusive format Explorer is intended to be as close to Pioneer as possible and Arena still has plans for the format to eventually become Pioneer. Magic is taking a unique approach to the format by making adding key cards to the game, cards that are staples in Pioneer in what Wizards is calling “tournament Pioneer.” This format isn’t expected until the end of 2024 so players will have plenty of time to prepare.
When that time comes around, there will be a Pioneer Masters set that will be draftable like other Masters sets. Modern Horizons 3 will be coming to Arena next year, though the Modern format won’t make an appearance on Arena, and all the cards in MH3 will be legal in Arena’s non-Standard formats.
Another highly anticipated set is coming to Arena, this time taking players to the diverse Universes Beyond of Final Fantasy. This fully draftable set draws inspiration from across the entirety of the Final Fantasy franchise to create a fully draftable set. It looks like it will be similar in release to The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, launching at the same time as the tabletop release.
Duplication Protection
Every Magic: The Gathering Arena player has experienced the annoyance of opening a duplicate rare or even mythic rare only to be rewarded with a small number of gems. Duplicates also go towards the opening of a Vault, which eventually rewards wildcards, but it can take months at a time to open if you’re not spending money on the game.
Arena is looking to improve its duplicate protection program, along with other ways to help players. Details are light on this feature as well, but any way to get more cards to players is a welcomed update.
Arena Renewal Coming Soon
Less than a month from now on September 5, Arena’s yearly Renewal is happening on Arena. Players will get new cards from Wilds of Eldraine to help introduce them to the new meta as well as a chunk of older cards to boost their card pool. For more on the Renewal and how Alchemy set rotation will occur, check out our coverage here.
Upcoming Events
There are always plenty of events rotating through Arena and if you’re planning ahead, you can be ready for as many as possible.
Midweek Magic
- August 8–10: Slow Start
- August 15–17: Historic Pauper
- August 22–24: Brawl
- August 29–31: Momir
Quick and Premiere Draft
- July 25–August 3: The Brothers’ War Premier Draft
- August 1–15: Dominaria United Quick Draft
- August 3–14: Magic 30: Mixed-Up Premier Draft
- August 14–21: Throne of Eldraine Premier Draft
- August 15–29: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Quick Draft
- August 21–September 5: Arena Cube Draft
- August 29–September 15: March of the Machine Quick Draft
- September 15–26: Wilds of Eldraine Quick Draft