Late last year, the Chaos Vault mysteriously appeared on the MTG Secret Lair website without any explanation. Many MTG players were understandably confused by this, but, mercifully, it didn’t take long for early answers to arrive. When The Fairest Drop of All, Foil Edition hit store shelves, MTG players finally had some idea of what to expect going forward.
These first impressions made it seem that Chaos Vault would be rarer and more unique than Secret Lair drops. For better or worse, the rarity part of this expectation appears to have been wide of the mark, as the first drop hasn’t sold out yet. Unfortunately, the second Chaos Vault drop hasn’t provided much in terms of additional context.
Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast has officially announced Chaos Vault to save us from constant wondering and speculation. In a blog post, Wizards revealed exactly what’s going on, alongside some upcoming art to get excited about. Unfortunately, getting excited is easier said than done, as Chaos Vault is hardly taking the world by storm.
A Moderately Chaotic Vault

In the Chaos Vault announcement blog post, Blake Rasmussen understandably hyped the new product line’s exciting potential. Dubbed an “anything-goes spot for us to stretch our creative muscles or just do one-offs,” it sounds like there’s a lot of potential. As many MTG players were quick to point out, however, that’s basically just what Secret Lair drops are already.
Winding back the clock to 2019, the announcement of Secret Lair used very similar language. At the time, Rasmussen called it “a love letter for Magic fans, with eye-popping designs and never-before-seen art styles.” From this, it really seems like Chaos Vault is just trying to capture the magic that early Secret Lair drops once had.
To set it apart, Chaos Vault is leaning into the first part of its name, aiming to be “unexpected.” According to Rasmussen, this means drops will go live at unorthodox times and potentially contain “unusual items.” Supposedly, Chaos Vault “won’t disappoint those looking for a storefront with a little something extra,” but we kind of are already.
So far, Chaos Vault hasn’t offered anything genuinely new and exciting for MTG players to rave about. The first drop was just a foil-only Secret Lair and the second is just basic lands. Admittedly, this second drop does have the quirk of being sold in packs of 10, but that’s hardly a world-shattering change.
Hopefully, things will get better in the future, but there’s little guarantee of that right now. All we have to go off is Rasmussen saying “We heard you like hats,” in the announcement post. Does this mean Wizards will soon sell an official Chaos Vault hat, or is “Brims” Barone, Midway Mobster just getting a reprint?
What’s Coming Up?

While giving Chaos Vault a proper announcement, Rasmussen revealed a sneak peek at what’s to come. Four pieces of upcoming artwork were revealed to conclude the article, which sounds like a major deal. In reality, however, the artwork, while gorgeous, just looks like regular Secret Lair artwork. To be completely honest, it looks kind of tame in comparison.
Looking at the art, which you can see throughout this article, there’s no denying that every piece is fantastic. The weirdest of the bunch is obviously the one from Rhonda Libbey, but the rest are just nice Secret Lair-esque artwork. That has us, and many other MTG players, wondering where on earth the chaos is.
As SoylentGreenMuffins comments on Reddit, Wizards does have the opportunity to get really weird with it. The art of a fish that you can see above, for instance, could be tied to a Dandan precon. This concept might sound ludicrous and far too niche to be viable, but that sounds very fittingly Chaos Vault.
“Experimental drops, and they show a picture of a fish in an upcoming one? They’re going to release a Dan Dan precon.”
SoylentGreenMuffins
Personally, an entire 80-card Dandan precon is pretty unlikely, especially since they can usually cost $100+. As funny as it would be to create and collect, Wizards will still want Chaos Vault products to sell. Sadly, this may be the major hurdle that constantly stands in the way of this product line’s success.
The Fatal Flaw

Generally, MTG players like to know what they’re getting. Magic isn’t a cheap game, so you’ve got to spend your money wisely no matter what you’re buying. Not only does this encourage Wizards to reveal absolutely everything, but that generates huge hype, too. Reprints of expensive cards or new exciting spoilers are what drive sales and urge players to crack packs.
Personally, given chaos is in the name, I think Wizards could, and maybe should, do away with this for Chaos Vault. Hypothetically, Chaos Vault drops could just showcase some art and reveal a theme that ties the MTG cards together. Shipping for these drops could also be delayed to purposefully prevent players from finding out what’s inside.
Alternatively, as SoylentGreenMuffins suggested, Wizards could go much wilder with the product offerings themselves. Niche precons, massive token packs, clothing with commemorative cards – anything and everything should be on the table. I just hope that it’s not weird art, as Secret Lair drops like the Brain Dead collaboration have that covered already.
Ultimately, we don’t know what Wizards of the Coast has planned for Chaos Vault at this point. We’ve only seen two drops so far, and one of those hasn’t even been released yet. As time goes on, we should hopefully get a much clearer picture of what to expect from this new sub-sub-brand. For the time being, however, we can’t help but be a little disappointed.