LATEST MTG 2023 Release Calendar

Just like 2022 before it, the 2023 MTG release calendar is absolutely chockablock with products. While this might make the year a little hard to keep up with, there’s nevertheless plenty for players to get excited about. Halfway through 2023 already, it’s safe to say that plenty of excitement has been had. For better or worse, however, we’re far from done, as 2023 still has five major sets still to go!

Considering this is almost one set per month, and each one needs its own hype and spoiler season, there’s no question that the release calendar is somewhat crowded. While this can make it hard to digest, thankfully, we’re here to be your trust guides and help you through it all.

That being said, however, in this article, we won’t be going over every single MTG product that is releasing in 2023. As, with 33 Secret Lair drops having been released already, covering them all will just add to the confusion. Subsequently, throughout this article, we’ll just be covering the major set releases for both paper MTG and MTG Arena.

Now that we’ve got that caveat out of the way, it’s time to get into the article properly. So, without any further ado, here’s the MTG release calendar for 2023!

MTG 2023 Release Schedule

Currently, 2023 contains eleven major MTG releases across both paper and MTG Arena. As usual, four of these are premier sets, however, the year also includes the first-ever “micro set”. Alongside the quartet of Standard-legal sets, 2023 also includes a dedicated direct-to-Modern and direct-to-Commander release.

Since we’re almost halfway through the year already, it seems unlikely that Wizards will now spring a surprise new major product on us. That being said, however, Wizards may well want to celebrate their actual 30th Anniversary date in style so I wouldn’t put a surprise set past them. Alongside this potential release, Wizards could also launch a new Anthology set on MTG Arena.

If you’re just after the dates for each product, here’s all the info you need to know!

Dominaria Remastered – January 13th, 2023
Phyrexia: All Will Be One – February 10th, 2023
Shadows over Innistrad Remastered – March 21st, 2023
March of the Machine – April 21st, 2023
March of the Machine: The Aftermath – May 12th, 2023
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth – June 23rd, 2023
Commander Masters – August 4th, 2023
Wilds of Eldraine – September 8th, 2023
Doctor Who Commander Decks – October 13th, 2023
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan – November 17th, 2023
Khans of Tarkir – December 12th, 2023

Currently, almost all the dates for the year have been set in stone by WotC. That being said, however, it’s worth noting that release dates may change throughout the year. We saw this a lot throughout 2022 thanks to the pandemic, however, 2023 has thankfully been a less disease-ridden year.

Alongside the pandemic being less prevalent this year, Wizards of the Coast has also shored up their production and manufacturing. Subsequently, there should be fewer unexpected delays throughout 2023. Provided that Wizards doesn’t elect to delay a product to appease players, of course.

Dominaria Remastered

Release Date: January 13th, 2023

As 2023’s first set, Dominaria Remastered kicks the year off with a bang. In a palatable celebration of MTG’s 30th Anniversary, Dominaria Remastered is an Eternal-legal draft set that features cards from throughout Magic’s history. Pulling from 27 different sets, each Dominaria Remastered card is set on the expansive plane of Dominaria. Uniquely, in an experiment, Dominaria Remastered was spoiled in only two days. This lightning-fast spoiler season revealed several $40 reprints sure to appease players. Unfortunately, this set is not releasing on MTG Arena for digital MTG players.

If you want to read more about Dominaria Remastered, check out a few of our articles below.

Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines | Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Release Date: February 10th, 2023

Returning to the plane of Phyrexia, formerly known as Mirrodin, Phyrexia: All Will Be One is 2023’s first Premier set. Promising Compleated Planeswalkers, as well as a lot of Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines, this upcoming set has a lot going on. Suffering from a staggering amount of leaks, much about Phyrexia: All Will Be One was spoiled ahead of schedule. This didn’t stop the set from being a thoroughly enjoyable time, however, with plenty of compelling cards and story beats.

Fancy knowing a little bit more about Phyrexia: All Will Be One? Have a read of some of our articles below!

Shadows Over Innistrad Remastered

Emrakul, the Promised End | Eldritch Moon

Release Date: March 21, 2023
As the name somewhat gives away, Shadows over Innistrad Remastered is a remastered version of the Shadows over Innistrad block from 2016. Launching on MTG Arena, this set, similar to past Remastered sets, will include a curated mix of cards from Shadows over Innistrad and Eldrich Moon.

As expected, this curated mix included plenty of powerful cards that Explorer and Histori players have long been requesting. Somewhat remarkably, the MTG Arena team even managed to get Emrakul, the Promised End working. Even more surprisingly, this card wasn’t even the one to break the game post-launch!

If you’re after more details about Shadows Over Innistrad Remastered, have a read of these articles!

March of the Machine

Release Date: April 21st, 2023

Having launched in mid-April of 2023, March of the Machine has been the year’s biggest set so far, without question. Featuring dramatic twists and turns, deaths, team-ups, and Vorinclex turning into a boat, March of the Machine had it all. Those are just the story moments! Alongside all those, the set, of course, also had plenty of fantastic cards to delight players and warp formats. As if all that wasn’t enough already, March of the Machine also had the Multiverse Legends bonus sheet, bringing down the prices of in-demand cards.

As good as these cards were, unfortunately not everything about the set was perfect. For instance, multiple players lamented the somewhat disappointing storytelling which lacked consequences. Thankfully for disgruntled players, however, that problem was later fixed with the first ever “micro-set,” March of the Machine: The Aftermath.

More about that set in a minute. In the meantime, if you want to know more about March of the Machine, have a read of some of the articles below.

March of the Machine: The Aftermath

March of the Machine Concept Art — March of the Machine Art

Release Date: May 12th, 2023

As we’ve mentioned twice already, March of the Machine: The Aftermath is MTG’s first-ever “micro set.” Comprised of just 50 cards, this Standard-legal set may be small, however, it certainly packs a punch. Containing cards that are already warping formats, it’s safe to say this unique set is already impactful.

Alongside the powerhouse cards, March of the Machine: The Aftermath also has huge story ramifications. Delivering the consequences that were missing from March of the Machine, this epilogue set has changed MTG as we know it. For starters, Omenpaths are a thing now, allowing non-Planeswalkers to travel between planes. Alongside this, most Planeswalkers lost their spark!

At the time of writing, it’s currently unclear if micro sets will become a major part of MTG’s future. While they do have their supporters, there are also plenty of players who are incredibly critical of their design decisions. Subsequently, we’ll just have to wait and see what 2024 brings!

If you want to know more about March of the Machine: The Aftermath, consider reading some of our articles below.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth

Release Date: June 23, 2023

As 2023’s straight to Modern Draft set, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth is a Universes Beyond product worth looking forward to. Featuring the franchise’s iconic heroes, villains, and locations, the Tales of Middle-Earth set uses J. R. R. Tolkien’s books as inspiration rather than the film and TV franchise. That is to say that some details may not be as you remember seeing on the silver screen.

Launched on June 23rd, 2023, Tales of Middle-Earth is available as a Draft set and accompanying Commander decks and Secret Lairs. Additionally, the set will launch on MTG Arena as an Alchemy set. Despite being an Alchemy set, the Arena release will be identical to the paper release.

So far, Wizards of the Coast has already spoiled a few cards from this highly anticipated Universes Beyond release. Even more is being announced, soon, however, as The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is the next MTG set to be released. Subsequently, MTG players can look forward to the spoiler season starting on the 30th of May, 2023!

If you want to read a little bit more about The Lord of the Rings: Tales of MIddle-earth, have a gander at these articles!

Commander Masters

Release Date: August 4, 2023

Announced in February of this year, Commander Masters is the surprise addition to the 2023 MTG release calendar. As the name suggests, the set is part of MTG’s Masters series, which is traditionally full to the brim with reprints. In a break from tradition, however, Commander Masters also features 40 brand-new cards for players to enjoy! Alongside these, Commander players should be delighted by the as-expected haul of rather expensive reprints.

In theory, as you might expect, Commander-focused reprints should help make the format cheaper and more accessible. Unfortunately, however, that isn’t a total guarantee for Commander Masters. In a worrying break from tradition, Commander Masters Booster packs are incredibly expensive, limiting the reprint’s effectiveness. So much so, in fact, price has been a major hurdle in the product’s success.

If you want to read up on Commander Masters, please peruse our articles below!

Wilds of Eldraine

Release Date: September 8th, 2023

Released in early September, Wilds of Eldraine kicked off the brand-new Omenpath Arc in MTG. Immediately from the Phyrexian Arc, this set was players’ first glimpse at how the multiverse has changed. From a story perspective, this made the set incredibly exciting, however, that wasn’t the only appealing factor.

Featuring numerous incredibly powerful cards, alongside triggering Alchemy rotation, Wilds of Eldraine has shaken up multiple formats. With combos, tutors, and Limited bombs, the 97th premier set really had it all! As if all that wasn’t enough, however, the set also features the Enchanting Tales bonus sheet to provide reprints galore!

If you want to read more about Wilds of Eldraine, you can do so here!

Doctor Who Commander Decks

Factured Identity — Fractured Identity | Doctor Who Universes Beyond Commander Decks

Release Date: October 13th, 2023

Similarly to the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks from 2022, the Doctor Who Commander decks are a significant Universes Beyond release. Featuring, as the name suggests, Doctors, companions, villains, and locations from the series, this Commander product celebrates Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary.

As with the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks, the Doctor Who decks will contain both new cards and reprints. Alongside being available as Commander decks, the Doctor Who set will also have Collector Boosters. For avid collectors, these Boosters even contain serialized MTG cards worth hundreds of dollars!

Now that October is behind us, the Doctor Who Commander Decks have obviously already been released. Receiving warm reviews, the decks are a ton of fun, while also boasting plenty of interesting cards to play with. Unfortunately, however, the set has largely been a victim of MTG’s overwhelming product calendar.

Thanks to new announcements, First Looks, and the next set, players have very little time to actually enjoy the Doctor Who decks. Subsequently, this highly flavorful release has come and gone without too much in the way of fanfare. Still, this detail doesn’t diminish just how fun these decks are to play with.

If you want to read our thoughts about each of the four Doctor Who Commander Decks, you can do so below!

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Release Date: November 17th, 2023

Following swiftly on from the Doctor Who Commander decks, we have The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. Taking players on a journey to the hollow core of the titular plane, this set is a real spelunking adventure. Beyond promising that exciting flavor, the set also looks incredibly enjoyable!

Boasting a smorgasbord of powerful, surely meta-breaking cards, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan has many players seriously excited. As if that wasn’t intriguing enough already, the set is also loaded with reprints that promise incredible value within packs! To delight players even more, there are plenty of fantastic Typal cards that amp up existing archetypes!

With so much good stuff crammed within the center of Ixalan, there’s an awful lot to cover and discuss. So, if you want to look at the set’s best bits, take a gander at some of our articles below!

Khans of Tarkir

Release Date: December 12th, 2023

Considering Khans of Tarkir was first released in 2014, you might be rather surprised to see it on this list. As strange as it sounds, however, this set is genuinely getting another release in 2023. To explain this oddity, Khans of Tarkir is getting a full re-release on MTG Arena.

Unlike remastered sets in the past, the Khans of Tarkir coming to Arena will be the entire set. Nothing is being missed out, and nothing is being added, as far as we’ve been told, at least. This means both Delve and Fetch Lands will be coming to MTG Arena.

As a note, while Khans of Tarkir is coming to Arena, this set isn’t Standard legal. Instead, the release is designed to bulk up the card pool for the Explorer format. Thankfully, alongside this main feature, Limited events for the set should also be available.

2024 and Beyond

While there are plenty of sets to look forward to in 2023, recently, players have been given a rare treat. To celebrate MTG’s official 30th anniversary, at Gen Con, Wizards held a massive preview panel. Here, the next three years of MTG were details, with countless sets and details revealed. So much was announced, in fact, that Wizards used codenames for half of it!

Thanks to the blockbuster preview panel, we now know a lot more about the future than ever before. So much so, that we’ve put together dedicated articles all about the 2024 release calendar, and the 2025 one too! If you want to read more about each of these years, just click the links and you’ll be whisked away to the far future.

Magic: The Gathering 2023 Release Calendar

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