While they’ve been out of the game for a while now, many MTG players are still sore about the removal of block sets. Magic used this structure for its new releases for over 20 years, and as such it earned a special place in many hearts. Over the past few days, discussion on this subject has re-ignited on social media. As the fire rages, many are sharing what they miss about the block system and what they hope to see in the future.
Attack The Block
The debate on the removal of block sets kicked off again this week after a Blogatog post from Mark Rosewater. Responding to a question about why Wizards is so strongly against blocks these days, he outlined his reasoning in great detail.
“Here’s the thing. Time has shown they aren’t a good tool. How do we know? Because they were the major tool we used for over two decades.”
Mark Rosewater, via Blogatog
By this point, it’s common knowledge that block sets suffered from the problem of diminishing returns. While the first set in each block typically did well by Wizards’ performance metrics, subsequent sets did progressively worse. As Rosewater noted in his recent post, this was despite a ton of experimentation on R&D’s part, with different block lengths, structures, and story layouts all trialed.
The big issue here, which many players themselves have acknowledged, is one of repetition. Setting multiple sets in a row in the same location can make things feel samey, both aesthetically and mechanically. That’s if you actually enjoy the setting in each case, too.
From Wizards’ perspective, it’s easy to see why this is an issue. Committing to multiple sets on the same plane is much, much riskier than just doing one-off visits. In the new system, if a set flops, at least it’s only a month or two until a new set can redeem it.
Collateral Damage
While the arguments for the removal of block sets are clear, and even accepted by some in the MTG community, there’s still plenty of pushback out there. In response to Rosewater’s post, for example, many players took to Reddit to discuss what they missed about block-era Magic.
“I think people say “I miss blocks” when they sometimes mean “I miss when I felt like Wizards put time and care into their worlds” or even “I miss a manageable release schedule for the game.””
Ssj4majuub, via r/magicTCG
This comment really hit home for many, with a lot of players echoing Ssj4majuub’s sentiments. While many players can understand why blocks have been abandoned, they still miss what that era of Magic represented.
In the block era, each block had a fully fleshed-out story arc, with sets able to build on both narrative and mechanical themes. This, combined with supporting materials like online stories, resulted in a richer overall narrative experience. While these materials still exist in the post-block era, only having one set to fully wrap up each story makes things feel rushed a lot of the time.
Block sets are also a reminder of when Magic’s release schedule was easier to keep up with. Three to four mainline sets was the norm for years, before things kicked up into the six to seven range they’re in now. During this time, it was much easier to keep track of each new release, and there was more time to enjoy each one, too.
The move to more sets, and more unique sets, is essentially a double-step away from this. With a new set every two months, it’s hard for anyone to stay on top of all that Magic has to offer. Since each set is an entirely new world and story, it’s also hard to track from a narrative perspective.
New World Order
While Rosewater’s recent comments seemingly put a full stop on block sets, some MTG players won’t let them go gently into that good night. In this week’s discussion, several players suggested that the rapid new release schedule could actually provide fertile ground for a block revival.
“If they want to keep this 6-7 set release schedule, they could 100% do blocks again, because that feeling of being “stuck” in something you don’t like only lasts for 3-5 months instead of a whole year.”
VellDarksbane, via r/magicTCG
With less time spent on each plane, this suggestion could restore the narrative depth and mechanical cohesion players miss. Sadly, even though this would likely work, there’s no indication that it would solve the other issues plaguing block sets. Secondary sets could still sell worse than primary ones, which gives Wizards little reason to try this solution in the first place. Universes Beyond only makes things worse here, breaking up the release schedule in awkward ways.
While splitting a block with a Universes Beyond release is technically possible, doing so would remove many of the upsides of blocks in the first place. For this reason, I don’t expect we’ll see a block revival for as long as Universes Beyond is a prominent part of the game. Even if it does pass, Wizards’ well-documented aversion to the system remains a major obstacle in its path.
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