Since their introduction in 2007’s Lorwyn, Planeswalkers have been some of the most important creatures in MTG. Not only did these iconic characters lead the game’s story, but they also did much of the game’s marketing! Thanks to this fundamental importance, it was a surprise, to say the least, that Wizards recently effectively removed most of them.
Finishing off the Phyrexian Arc with a bang, Wizards of the Coast de-sparked a huge number of Planeswalkers. Thanks to this huge change, only one new Planeswalker was being released in most premier MTG sets going forward. Mercifully, this didn’t mean the end of returning characters thanks to the introduction of Omenpaths across Magic’s multiverse.
Due to Planeswalkers now being much more scarce in MTG, each one has become significantly more exciting. Every time a new MTG set gets announced, players are always excited to see what Wizards has come up with. This was especially true for Bloomburrow, the latest MTG set without any humans.
An Adorably Furry Face
During the First Look event for Bloomburrow, Wizards of the Coast only showed off a handful of actual cards. In total, only five cards were revealed, and one of those was four different mountains! While this didn’t give MTG players much to go off, thankfully, these weren’t the only details revealed.
Alongside the quartet on non-land cards, Wizards also revealed a smattering of art. As you can see at the top of this article, one of these art pieces depicts a character who looks an awful lot like Ral Zarek. Beyond the obvious similarities, this Otter’s identity was quickly confirmed by the art’s name and Wizards themselves.
While Bloomburrow may not have any humans, it seems that Planeswalkers are still able to traverse to this MTG plane. When they do, these iconic characters are simply transformed into a new furry version of themselves. In Ral’s case, this has turned them into an Otter, which apparently means Wizards has gone woke, heaven forbid.
As if the reveal of Ral’s return wasn’t exciting enough, Wizards had another trick up their sleeves. While nothing is set in stone, it very much seems like Bloomburrow will feature at least two Planeswalkers! During The Preview Panel, MTG’s Story Lead, Roy Graham, stated “Ral, might not be the only Planeswalker we’ll see in this set.”
Following this dramatic statement, Wizards dropped the art you can see above. While Blake Rasmussen joked that this art has no name attached, it clearly shows Jace as a Fox. With the statement from Graham in mind, it seems that Jace is still a Planeswalker too, also being un-compleated.
An All Too Familiar Face
Considering we haven’t seen Jace since they were all Phyrexianized and evil, MTG players are rather excited for their return. This excitement can clearly be heard in the recording of The Preview Panel at MagicCon: Chicago. As soon as Wizards showed off the new art for Jace’s foxy form, the crowd erupted into a monumental cheer.
Beyond MTG players just being excited for Jace’s return, it seems Bloomburrow is hitting it right. While Outlaws at Thunder Junction may be the next premier set, it’s already being massively overshadowed. That being said, while hype is seemingly reaching new levels, not everything about Bloomburrow is perfect.
Being MTG’s first human-free plane in almost two decades, players were expecting to see a lot of exciting new characters. Since humans were off limits, this presumably meant a brand-new animal Planeswalker. Now, it appears this hope isn’t being realized, as Wizards is defaulting to what works.
To kick off the sad news, according to Mark Rosewater, Magic’s most adorable Planeswalker was never on the cards. First appearing in Unfinity, Comet, Stellar Pup is still waiting for their in-universe debut. Considering the aesthetic of Bloomburrow, this could have been a perfect opportunity, but it wasn’t meant to be/
As if this wasn’t disappointing enough, it appears that new Planeswalkers may now be a rarity. Speaking on Blogatog, Rosewater revealed that, going forward, Wizards will be “defaulting” to existing characters, rather than creating new ones. Thankfully, while this does sound rather disappointing, Rosewater did state that “new planeswalkers are possible.”
While disappointing, admittedly, this reluctance to make new Planeswalkers in MTG is totally unsurprising. Compared to new characters, recreating an iconic friend or foe is significantly less risky. As a result, it’s no wonder that Wizards would bank on a sure thing.
Fantastical Furry Friends
Thankfully, while the shift in Planeswalker design appears to have hurt Bloomburrow’s adorable potential, the set still looks amazing. Even with only four cards being revealed so far, the set is already stealing the hearts of MTG players. Considering we’ve barely seen a whisker from the set, Bloomburrow is surely going to get better and better!
Unfortunately, while players are already excited for Bloomburrow, this set won’t be released for quite a while. Looking at the 2024 release calendar, we can see the set doesn’t release until August 2nd, over five months away. Curiously, this date is earlier than usual, which leaves quite a gulf in the second half of 2024.
While it may be the set everyone is excited about, before Bloomborrow, there’s plenty more to come before then. With Fallout, Outlaws at Thunder Junction, Modern Horizons 3, and even Assassin’s Creed, we’re in for a very busy five months. Hopefully, this should make the time fly by until Bloomborrow finally rolls around.
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