To say that the MTG release calendar has been a controversial topic throughout recent years would be an understatement. Even before the rise of Universes Beyond, the sheer number of products being released majorly irked players. Thankfully, Wizards of the Coast has now addressed this issue, even if it took a long time to happen.
In 2027, for instance, we should only be getting six sets throughout the year, all of which are Standard legal. With reveals being mostly streamlined into MagicCon panels, too, next year looks refreshingly straightforward. That said, it appears that some MTG players feel like that’s not enough.
Prompted by a recent question on Blogatog, MTG Head Designer Mark Rosewater set up a poll to gauge interest in a seventh set. Specifying that this extra release would be a “supplemental set,” plenty of players were excited by the possibility. That said, as the poll’s surprisingly close results show, the idea was hardly beloved by all.
Seventh Times the Charm
“Mrmoustachemm: I’m fine with you moving to 7 sets a year if that 7th set is a supplemental set.
Mark Rosewater: Let’s see what this blog thinks about it. (This is just for fun and not a promise of anything.) Would you be willing to have a seventh set each year if that seventh set was a supplemental set?
Via: Blogatog
- Yes – 50.6%
- No – 39%
- I refuse to commit either way. – 10.4%”
Overall, thanks to winning the poll with a little over 10% of the vote, technically, MTG players do want a seventh set each year. While Mark Rosewater isn’t promising this will happen, it’s easy to see the potential positives. After all, most supplemental sets are either incredibly useful or beloved by the community.
At their peak, Masters sets succeeded on both of these metrics, providing a great gameplay experience alongside incredible reprints. With Universes Beyond increasing Magic’s popularity and pushing up the price of staples, these reprints are needed more than ever. In theory, this could make their return more beloved than ever before, but they’re hardly the only option.
While not quite as reprint-focused, Commander sets like Battle for Baldur’s Gate can also deliver on multiple fronts. Previously, these sets have delivered tons of interesting designs, making them another ideal supplemental set. Hell, even fan-favorite options like Un-Sets or Draft-matters would be a real treat nowadays.
Technically, the fact that each of these products no longer exists shows that they’ve failed to cut the mustard at Wizards. Despite this, Mystery Boosters, which take the best bits from many of these products, has been a huge hit with fans. This is especially true for the upcoming Mystery Booster Commander Edition, which is so instantly beloved that there are major supply concerns.
While this set was notably funded by MagicCons, it seemingly shows a huge demand for supplemental products. This, combined with the results of the poll, could easily get discussions going at Wizards. Even if that does seem positive, however, there’s clearly a lot of players who don’t love this idea.
Split Opinion
For starters, reintroducing a supplemental product to the MTG release calendar would undo a clear choice from Wizards. Back in 2024, Wizards expressly made all Universes Beyond sets Standard legal to make Magic easier to understand. This coincided with Innistrad Remastered being the last supplemental set, so undoing this decision would seemingly be a step backward.
Even if MTG players can handle their legality, as they did before, supplemental sets aren’t always well-received. Horizons sets, for instance, have long been lambasted by the community thanks to embodying power creep. Having created multiple ban-worthy cards and design mistakes, many players understandably don’t want another.
While there wasn’t a guarantee the 7th supplemental set would be a Horizons release, the lack of specificity concerned players. Considering how well these sets have sold, too, the chances of one being made feel inevitable. As such, players like Dyne-Inferno noted on Reddit, this makes a blanket “No” response a safe bet, just in case.
Beyond fears about new Horizons sets, many MTG players simply wanted fewer sets in general. While we have had more previously, six full-size sets per year is still an absolute ton of new Magic content. This can be especially hard to keep up with, especially as a Standard-focused player.
To combat this, many commented that Wizards should reintegrate supplemental sets into the six-set-per-year equation. Sadly, while this should actually allow players to pick and choose what they pay attention to, it feels incredibly unlikely. At the very least, these supplemental sets would take a Universes Within sets slot, not a Universes Beyond one.
Just One Step
Ultimately, while this poll technically shows what players want, with more sets in the majority, it’s hardly a conclusive poll. Even if we do end up going down the route of supplemental sets returning, it’ll take a long while. Currently, each MTG set takes roughly three to four years to develop, so we may be waiting until 2030 to see anything happen.
Thankfully, even if this doesn’t happen, Wizards has shown their capacity to innovate to appease fans. Not only is Mystery Booster Commander Edition a breath of fresh air, but Archenemy and Planechase have partially reappeared too. These game modifiers returned in Duskmourn and March of the Machine precons, showing supplemental products don’t always need dedicated sets.
Alongside these, we’ve also seen plenty of Jumpstart and Co-Op-focused products being integrated into major sets. Ideally, these can provide the same fun as a supplemental set, without being an independent major release. As much as these help keep players happy, the poll shows there’s clearly a demand for more.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew, and our brand new MTG Rocks Podcast!