We’re not even halfway into 2025, and we’ve already been all over this year. Tarkir: Dragonstorm has given us a blast from the past, and Aetherdrift took us to three planes at once. Technically, we’ve seen all the planes we’ve been to so far this year previously; however, there is an odd one out.
Unlike Avishkar (formerly Kaladesh), Amonkhet, and Tarkir, we’ve never properly been to Muraganda. The racing-themed whirlwind visit during Aetherdrift is the most we’ve seen of this plane in 18 years. Looking ahead, however, it now seems that this much-anticipated and rather beloved plane will be getting its time in the spotlight.
“Closer to a When”
While there is good news for fans of Muraganda, we’ve not had an official set announcement or anything like that. Instead, the good news comes from a new statement from MTG’s Head Designer, Mark Rosewater. While Blogatog comments often need to be taken with a grain of salt, it now seems a Muraganda is inevitable.
“Raa-atraka: Hello Mark, hope the day finds you well now that we have gotten a glimpse of Muraganda, and it seems to be received well, is Muraganda getting a set to itself more of a when now or an if?”
Mark Rosewater: Aetherdrift moved it closer to a when.”
Via: Blogatog
Admittedly, to rain on this parade a little bit, this statement from Rosewater doesn’t guarantee a Muraganda MTG set in the future. Not only is Rosewater not singularly in charge of MTG’s direction, but Muraganda is only “closer to a when.” Technically, this could mean it’s still in the “if” category, but just a more realistic ‘if’ than some other options.
Despite nothing being confirmed, this development was very much planned by Wizards of the Coast originally. Mark Rosewater revealed this back in early February, when he stated Muraganda was chosen specifically to show it off. If the set did well, then there’d be a good chance that a proper premier set taking place there could happen.
Now, it seems that time is upon us, as evidently Muraganda was a hit within Aetherdrift. Even though we didn’t actually see much of the plane within the set, Aetherdrift nonetheless proved its potential. Now, it should apparently only be a matter of time before we actually get a set on Magic’s primordial plane.
A Mechanical Mystery
With a trip to Muraganda all but confirmed, it’s worth wondering what this set would actually look like. While we got a taste of things in Aetherdrift, the plane barely accounts for a third of the entire set overall. That is to say that there’s a lot of the plane left to explore, and one theme in particular that players have been clamoring for.
Since it was first hinted at in Future Sight, Muraganda has been the “Vanilla Matters” plane. This theme did partly appear in Aetherdrift, on cards like Fang-Druid Summoner. While this was a nice and flavorful addition, we didn’t get a full Commander deck built around this idea. Disappointingly, there just aren’t nearly enough support cards required to make such an archetype work in a precon.
Ideally, a proper set that takes place on Muraganda would be able to give this theme some actual love. On top of this, we could also expect to see plenty of massive vanilla Beasts and Dinosaurs. There could even be a Devoid-esque mechanic that gives creatures abilities while still letting them technically be vanilla.
Outside of this fan-favorite theme, we’ve already seen that Muraganda has plenty of Oozes running about. Judging by the ark, Garruk is also hanging out on the plane, although we didn’t get to see him in Aetherdrift. Additionally, if the reprint of Bloodghast is anything to go by, there could be a Landfall theme on the plane.
Ultimately, for better or worse, Muraganda is still very unexplored in the grand scheme of MTG. Outside of the slight focus on vanilla creatures, there’s a great deal that we don’t know. As such, Wizards could really go wild with this almost blank canvas of a plane when it comes time to make it a reality.
A Long Wait Ahead
As mentioned, while a Muraganda MTG set is now likely, it’s by no means confirmed. Even if Mark Rosewater stated that a Muraganda set is 100% happening, there’s no guarantee we’d see it for years. At best, we’d be waiting until 2027, at the earliest, for such a set, which is an awful long way away.
Historically, MTG sets have spent roughly two-ish years in development before seeing release. Unsurprisingly, story arcs and moments are planned out long in advance of this, and the same may be true for planes. Due to this, there’s really no telling how long we may have to wait for a proper trip to Muraganda.
Considering we’ve had to wait a decade for a return to Tarkir and soon-to-be 19 years for Lorwyn, I wouldn’t hold your breath. Nevertheless, there’s a good chance that MTG players will see Muraganda again in the future. Who knows, maybe we’ll see it sooner rather than later, thanks to whatever’s going on with “Through The Omenpaths” on MTG Arena. Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait patiently and see.