At the moment, there’s no question that Standard is Wizards of the Coast’s favorite format. Not only is it receiving tons of competitive support throughout 2025, but it’s getting more sets than ever before. Since Universes Beyond sets are now Standard legal, the format will be getting more cards, and players, than ever before.
Should everything go according to play, the focus on Standard may bring about a new golden age for MTG. While this all sounds well and good, Standard’s rise may come at the cost of multiple other formats. Pioneer, for example, is being left without much in the way of competitive support for a full year. On top of this, many players were left questioning whether or not Alchemy would go the way of the dodo.
Worryingly, these fears seemed to be very realistic, as the writing really was on the wall, Thankfully, according to MTG Arena’s Design Manager, Ian Adams, this isn’t the case, far from it, in fact.
The Writing on the Wall
On its own, MTG Foundations already made the future of Alchemy appear rocky. Once this set is released on November 15th, the focus for new players on MTG Arena will be shifted toward Standard. Given that Foundations is specifically geared toward new players, this makes a lot of sense, but it’s punishing for Alchemy.
Currently, it’s believed that Alchemy gets much of its player base from new players who are subtly funneled toward the format. Should this stream of players dry up thanks to Wizards’ changes, there could be multiple knock-on effects. With fewer players, it would make sense that Alchemy would command fewer resources, potentially resulting in fewer new cards and rebalances.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the major ace Alchemy had up its sleeves has now been taken away. Previously Alchemy was the only rotating format on MTG Arena where you could play Universes Beyond cards. Thanks to recent changes, however, Universes Beyond sets are now coming to Standard too, which is a major shift.
For better or worse, all that Alchemy will have going for it soon is its exclusive cards and faster rotation. While these aspects should be enough to keep hardcore players entertained, there are still some missing features. Rebalancing, for instance, has been an incredibly rare sight over the past year, Additionally, the competitive scene for Alchemy has been lacking at best.
With this in mind, it very much seems like the writing is on the wall for Alchemy. Without a dramatic shake-up or new resources to entice players, it could easily fade into obscurity. Bizarrely, despite the future looking bleak, it seems Alchemy may finally be receiving the support it has long craved.
Alchemy Isn’t Dead?
According to MTG Arena’s Design Manager, Ian Adams, Alchemy cards won’t be dying and disappearing anytime soon. This surprisingly informative tidbit was revealed on Discord following the announcement of the chockablock 2025 release calendar. Such a dense release schedule quickly concerned players that there would be no room or resources for new Alchemy cards.
Despite appearances, according to Adams, 2025 is actually “less busy than this year.” While this may sound outlandish, 2024 did have Modern Horizons 3, MTG Foundations, and Pioneer Masters. Having all this on top of the regular suite of four premier sets, three of which got Alchemy releases, it’s no wonder things slowed down.
In 2025, we’ll only be getting three premier sets and three Universes Beyond sets. So far, no other releases for MTG Arena have been confirmed, which should allow for more freedom. This could either mean more Alchemy cards, more Anthology sets, or entire features like Commander.
Technically, none of these potential additions are confirmed, but Adams did hint at big things being in Alchemy’s future. Following up on his initial answer on Discord, Adams stated they’re “in the midst of an interview process for the new Alchemy lead.” Going forward, this should mean that Alchemy has more focus on it, not less.
Exactly what this means for the future of Alchemy currently remains to be seen. Rebalances were mentioned as an aspect that could receive additional focus, but possibilities beyond that are unclear. In theory, Alchemy sets could get slightly larger, or the format could get more weird and wonderful mechanics perhaps.
The Format’s Future
Ultimately, it’s unclear which direction Alchemy will take in the future. With more support, it could become an incredibly healthy format, enticing players and providing competitive support, too. Should it receive enough love, it could even ditch Universes Beyond sets to focus on itself more, although that seems incredibly unlikely. At worst, more rebalances will help Alchemy feel more like itself again and hopefully encourage play.
Sadly, there’s still a lingering question mark about when any of this will happen. Adams is still in the interview process for the new Alchemy head, and there’s no telling when that will finish. Even when the search has concluded, it may take weeks or months before plans to be made and implemented on MTG Arena. As a result, we may be waiting for quite a while yet.
Regardless of what happens, it’s just nice to know that Alchemy isn’t going to die any time soon.
