For a while now, we’ve been watching a major shift in Magic: The Gathering’s core identity play out in real time. What was once a game laser-focused on original worlds and stories became much more derivative, drawing heavy thematic inspiration from other genres for its sets. In the case of Universes Beyond, this idea was taken even further. For those who loved MTG the way it once was, today’s news that Tarkir: Dragonstorm is in unusually high demand will be sweet vindication to their ears.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm was always a set with a lot of potential behind it. Our original trip to Tarkir, back in 2014-15, was a huge success. Players loved the world and the three-color clans, to the point where it’s frankly surprising that Wizards waited so long to return there. That the set is experiencing such heavy demand, however, likely speaks to something deeper. Players appear to be growing tired of Magic’s forays outside itself and long for the feeling of home that Dragonstorm provides.
The High Demand For Tarkir: Dragonstorm
It’s been pretty much impossible to avoid the hype train for Tarkir: Dragonstorm if you’ve been online at all over the last month. The story content hooked players in early, and the previews themselves were exceptionally powerful. That said, few anticipated just how high the demand for Tarkir: Dragonstorm would be on release.
This week, we found out for sure. Speaking to Magicuntapped, Wizards Play Network Community Manager Nelson Brown made the situation very clear.
“Demand for Tarkir: Dragonstorm has been exceptionally high and we are working to bring more to the market.”
Nelson Brown, WPN Community Manager
High demand for a Magic: The Gathering set is nothing new, of course. Every couple of months, we see another Secret Lair sell out in record time, after all. That said, it’s rare that similar situations arise with regular sets. Brown’s statement is one thing, but it’s backed up by those actually selling the product, too. Speaking to Magicuntapped, several retailers and LGS owners shared stories of product scarcity coming into play already.
“I’m being told from every distribution that collectors are sold out; we can’t get more and we are out already in store […] Same with commander decks, (certain ones are already sold out in store), and bundles.”
Hope Tallen, Kit & Kaboodle
“We had record sales for this set, […] We were lucky enough to get a decent supply and we are relatively new so we still have stock, but all the places around me have sold out as well.”
Chris Philips, HoneyBee Games
It’s important to bear in mind that Tarkir: Dragonstorm only dropped in paper last Friday. This means that the issues the above retailers are describing arose after just three days on sale. There are Secret Lair drops that have held availability for longer.
We’re not looking at a total sell-out or anything, but certainly a huge, potentially record-breaking strain on supply. It’s not just store owners who are telling these tales, either: players on r/MagicTCG are reporting very similar findings.
“I think this tracks. My LGS said all three of their prereleases were sold out for the first time ever.”
NevadaRaised
“Couldn’t find a spot to participate in prerelease on my only day off for the weekend. One of the locals said that every time slot they ran a prerelease set a new record for that time slot for attendance.”
Yenoham30
Based on the thread, sold-out Prereleases for Tarkir: Dragonstorm was a common problem over the weekend. This is a double win for the set. It not only means that players are excited about the new cards but that they’re keen to get their hands on them as soon as possible.
Back To Basics
Just three days in, this level of high demand seems to cement Tarkir: Dragonstorm as a success right out the gate. As to why that is, there are a number of possible explanations. As I mentioned above, players have been hoping for a new Tarkir set for about a decade now, so that alone was a great starting point. Perhaps more than that, however, the fact that Dragonstorm is a set that feels quintessentially Magic: The Gathering looks to be a major factor.
“Honestly love to see an in-universe original IP set selling well, and one that isn’t leaning super hard on ‘characters you know, with tropes on top’. More of this please.”
Alexm920
Throughout the r/MagicTCG thread discussing the set’s early success, players praised Dragonstorm’s originality above all else. Given what the last year of MTG looked like, this is totally understandable. Bloomburrow aside, last year’s sets were broadly criticized for feeling too derivative.
Murders at Karlov Manor used too many detective tropes, Outlaws of Thunder Junction used too many western tropes, and Duskmourn used too many ’80s horror tropes. While there was good world-building in there, the overall aesthetic was one that felt a bit too familiar. Thanks to an abundance of puns in both card names and flavor text, they also felt a bit too irreverent for their own good.
“Magic ip is great when done well, takes itself seriously, and has respect for its roots and internal integrity. Planes of hats are teflon and forgettable. Universes beyond are going to wear out their welcome as more popular ips run out and the dregs are sent out.”
Lorgardidnowrong
Kicking off 2025 with Aetherdrift, the silliest of these sets yet, didn’t help matters. Combined with the ramping-up of Universes Beyond products, last year felt like a low point for the identity of MTG. With that context in mind, it’s not surprising that Tarkir: Dragonstorm has resonated so well with players.
“I’m not a Universes Beyond hater by any means but I do hope that this shows them that people really do want the actual Magic IP and when you put effort into a set they can still do really well.”
Deora_II_Kid
This is an original Magic world with a fresh coat of world-building paint. While Tarkir certainly draws inspiration from our world, with elements of the Jeskai feeling like homages to classic martial arts movies, cruciall,y it feels like its own thing throughout.
Rough Road Ahead
Unfortunately, we may not be able to bask in the glory of this return to form for long. As high as the demand for Tarkir: Dragonstorm is, it’s only one of six Magic: The Gathering sets this year. The other four, at least as far as players right now are concerned, are unlikely to deliver on the same axis.
“Honestly one of the top reasons why my playgroup is so hot on dragonstorm is the prospect of 3 -5 unappealing sets in a row coming up. We are going to have FF, space opera, Spider Man, and Avatar coming up and none of us particularly want to engage. Add to that the past year of hat set after hat set and it’s like a coming up for air and gulping “actual” magic while we can.”
Skytho1990
This is a common and understandable position. The only remaining Magic IP set this year is Edge of Eternities. While our early glimpses of the set have been promising, the setting has caused a lot of concern among players.
This is Magic’s first foray into outer space, which means it has very real potential to lean hard into genre tropes yet again. If that proves to be the case, the hot streak started by Tarkir: Dragonstorm could be over before it’s really gotten started. Even if it is just as good, the other three sets this year are all Universes Beyond releases.
While Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, and Avatar: The Last Airbender all have the potential to be fantastic sets, they won’t be fantastic Magic sets. At least, not in the way Tarkir: Dragonstorm has managed it. The use of outside IP further distances these sets from enfranchised fans, making them unlikely to perform as well without the collector angle hanging over everything.
“Wotc is gonna forget all about this when final fantasy sells out everywhere.”
Intelligent_Slug_758
Unfortunately, all three of these sets are also likely to be incredibly popular. As Intelligent_Slug_758 puts it above, such success could put WotC on a track that leads further away from Tarkir: Dragonstorm and deeper into the creative cul-de-sac it’s been steadily driving down for years. Hopefully, this isn’t the case; great as it is, it would be a shame for Tarkir: Dragonstorm to be the last great original Magic set.
