After sitting through the back-to-back spoiler seasons for the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks and Unfinity, MTG Arena players are starting to feel a bit left out. While Alchemy: Dominaria United is expected to be on the horizon, that isn’t making the wait any more enjoyable. For two weeks, MTG Arena players have been looking jealously at all the cards they can’t have. This is despite arguably being Magic’s premier digital platform. Thankfully, it might not all be bad news for MTG Arena players, as Arena may be getting some of the most desired Unfinity cards.
Un- Fathomable Beauty
As an Un-Set, MTG players could count on a few key elements included in Unfinity. These include the much-maligned wacky mechanics, a visually striking theme, and some utterly gorgeous art. While the last element is far from exclusive to Un-Sets, they are nevertheless renowned for their art, especially their Land cards. Unsurprisingly, Unfinity is no different.
To make the set even more unique, as if Acorn cards didn’t do that already, Unfinity features not one but two full art land printings. Named “planetary space-ic lands” and “orbital space-ic lands,” these full art lands look utterly spectacular. Even more in the new Galaxy foil printing. As if the full art basic lands weren’t enticing enough already, Unfinity also features ten borderless shock lands. Available as both traditional and galaxy foils, these lands are primed to be some of Unfinity’s most valuable and sought-after cards.
Thanks to their stunning beauty, these 20 lands have been a highly requested addition to MTG Arena since their reveal. Unfortunately, however, Wizards of the Coast has been frustratingly coy about their plans for the space-themed borderless lands on Arena. As a set with some Eternal legal cards, there was initially some hope for a partial MTG Arena release. Sadly, however, only Magic Online is receiving that honor. Thankfully, it appears that MTG Arena might not be left out entirely. Wizards are yet to confirm anything officially. However, the borderless lands seem primed to appear on the platform.
A Cosmetic Conundrum
As Magic: the Gathering’s Lead Designer, it was only a matter of time before Mark Rosewater was asked if anything from Unfinity was coming to MTG Arena. In their response, Rosewater initially seemed to dismiss the possibility, stating that “nothing is currently planned for Arena.” While this sounds like an open and shut case, Rosewater stated that “Arena does have access to the art/frames for all the full-art lands.” To not get fans too excited, however, Rosewater reiterated that “I don’t know if they have any plans for them.” Despite this dismissal, it nevertheless sounds like Unfinity’s lands could easily be implanted in MTG Arena.
If the MTG Arena team already has the art, it certainly seems to make sense that they’d implement it into the game. While implementing mechanics, especially those as complex as Stickers and Attractions, into Arena would take considerable time, Unfinity’s lands would merely be cosmetic additions. It seems, therefore, that it would be prudent for Wizards to release these much-requested card styles. Unfortunately, things may not be as easy as they conceptually seem.
Recently, for instance, MTG Arena ran into a spot of bother implementing Matt Jukes lands during the summer sale. After purchasing the bundle, MTG Arena players quickly realized that these sought-after slow lands weren’t actually in their collections. Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast eventually rectified this mistake, refunding the affected players while letting them keep the missing product. While this experience may have left Wizards less willing to implement cosmetics carelessly, the recent release of Dominaria United went off almost without a hitch, proving the development team’s abilities.
Missed Opportunities
Judging by Mark Rosewater’s statement, it appears that MTG Arena can access all of MTG’s art if desired. If this is true, Wizards of the Coast has been bafflingly restrained with implementing cosmetics. Secret Lair products, for instance, are rarely added to MTG Arena while they’re still available for purchase. While this is a sensible business decision from Wizards, since cosmetic products are considerably cheaper on MTG Arena, it feels like a missed opportunity not to add the art to Arena once they’re no longer for sale.
Ultimately, with Wizards shrouding themselves in a Chain Veil of mystery, there’s no telling what they’re up to. MTG Arena players will have to wait patiently for news about the gorgeous Unfinity lands. In the meantime, players can at least hold onto the glimmer of hope that Mark Rosewater offered.
