For better or worse, it’s rare that any MTG set manages to launch without leaks interfering in some way. Typically, however, these leaks don’t reveal too much information, and low camera quality keeps their authenticity seriously doubtful. This allows the set’s spoiler season to progress as normal, properly building up the hype for the MTG set. Unfortunately, for Wizards, at least, the same may not be true for the upcoming Phyrexia: All Will Be One. Thanks to production quirks, Phyrexia: All Will Be One appears to be the most leaked MTG set in history. Subsequently, there have been concerns that the MTG set’s spoiler season has been ruined before it can even begin.
Phyrexia: All Will Be Leaked
Officially, Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s spoiler season is not due to start until January 12th, 2023. Kicking off spoiler season with the set’s story, this would lead into official previews for the set on January 17th. Unfortunately for Wizards and their carefully laid plans, however, much of Phyrexia: All Will Be One has already been revealed. This unfortunate process started all the way back in October of 2022, with leaks revealing Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s, core mechanics. Following this initial reveal, Phyrexia: All Will Be One leaks would pop up once more in December. This time around, accidental leaks from Wizards of the Coast revealed major story details about the deaths of several Planeswalkers. As if these leaks weren’t bad enough, however, in 2023, the leaks would get even more out of hand.
Kicking off 2023, Dominaria Remastered was set to kick off the year in style. Promising a curated and celebratory Draft experience, Dominaria Remastered had plenty of reprints and archetypes to get players adequately excited. Across social media, however, the launch of the set was entirely overshadowed by the latest round of leaks. These leaks sourced from Dominaria Remastered itself, with Booster Boxes having cards replaced by Phyrexia: All Will Be One Rares. While not explicitly a marketing practice, the appearance of upcoming cards within a set isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. We even saw this with a Phyrexia: All Will Be One token, which appeared in a Jumpstart 2022 pack. Despite past precedent, however, Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s appearance in Dominaria Remastered was far from typical.
Phyrexia: All Will Be Ruined
Rather than just having a card slipped into a pack or two, Dominaria Remastered packs have practically been invaded by Phyrexia: All Will Be One cards. Said to be replacing the retro frame slot within Dominaria Remastered packs, this issue is reportedly reasonably widespread. In a post on the MagicTCG subreddit, u/EagerCadetFTW claimed their “LGS opened two boxes for preview event Drafts today, and both had ONE cards in them.” Similarly, u/GeckoNova concurred, saying that “Two other LGS’ (one which I know is in Ohio) got the ONE cards in their drafts. So I think a substantial amount of cards got mixed it, but there aren’t a ton of reports.”
While this mixed-up issue might not affect every Dominaria Remastered box, it’s more than prevalent enough to do damage. Thanks to MTG players sharing their findings on Reddit, this bizarre occurrence has revealed almost every rare from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. As you might expect, this includes several powerful cards that are already affecting the financial markets. Alongside these cards, however, major story details have also been spoiled, ruining the surprise of who gets Compleated. Now, outside of the under-wraps mythic MTG cards, Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s spoiler season doesn’t have a lot to give.
Due to the effect on Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s impending spoiler season, it has been suggested that this was no accident. On Reddit, for instance, u/Philosophile42 commented, “at this point, I have to believe this is all marketing. Phyrexia is infecting Dominiaria and subsequently the rest of the multiverse. Sort of like the ‘priceless treasures’ event for Zendikar.” Alternatively, u/jovietjoe suggests that instead, “it’s a very specific problem from a very specific sh*tty printing company in China that happened to another company before.”
Does It Actually Matter?
Ultimately, due to Wizards of the Coast remaining typically tight-lipped, the cause of this mass leak is unknown. Whatever the reason for this mix-up, however, the outcome is still the same. Fifty-eight of Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s rares have been prematurely spoiled. Due to this, some players have claimed that they’re “no longer excited for ONE spoilers after all these unofficial leaks.” While u/chappers13 made the post to voice this opinion, however, other Reddit users quickly disagreed in the comments.
“Excitement for me isn’t based on spoilers, but content. If the set has few cards I’m after, or the draft environment looks lopsided my interest will lower. At this point, I’m excited to see how many different treatments Tyvar will get as I’m definitely grabbing one for a Harald, King of Skemfar deck.”
u/Xatsman
Alongside those more interested in the set’s story rather than the cards themselves, several players questioned whether it even matters. “What’s the difference of seeing the cards now vs. three weeks from now? Same exact thing,” u/TemurTron stated. “Just enjoy the cards, a lot of them are fun.” While several players voiced this spoiler ambivalence, not all players were so happy to accept the scattershot of leaks. For instance, Reddit user u/GuilleJiCan highlighted the “spacing of previews vs quality and quantity of the leaks.”
“Getting almost all of the rares in one go makes you binge them, and cards nowadays have just so much text that is difficult to think about them if you get them all together. I like having some space for my brain to play with the cards before the next day of previews. Plus, I don’t like squinting to see the cards.”
u/GuilleJiCan
In the end, while clearly, not every MTG player is happy about the leaks, we wouldn’t say that Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s spoiler season has been ruined because of them. Story-focused players, for instance, can still read about how things happen, even if the ending has been spoiled. Similarly, players interested in Draft still have a lot to look forward to, as Rares rarely define the format. Those looking for Constructed bombs also have reason to remain interested, as there are still plenty of Mythic Rares yet to be spoiled. Ultimately, even while it won’t be as dramatic as intended, there’s still a lot to enjoy over the coming weeks.
Read More: These are the Best MTG Phyrexia: All Will Be One Leaks Right Now!
