At this point, MTG is almost finished for 2025. Outside of the story chapters for Lorwyn Eclipsed, releasing in December, and some Secret Lair drops, we’ve seen it all. That doesn’t mean we’re getting a break from spoilers, however, as Wizards of the Coast has 2026 to look forward to. Starting the hype train early, Wizards has already revealed a couple of promos releasing in May of next year.
Fblthp But Buff
Available as the MagicCon Promo for MagicCon: Las Vegas, this unique Wayfarer’s Bauble is quite something. Given out to every attendee with a badge for this MagicCon event, this promo isn’t particularly that rare. What it is, however, is one hell of a look, as rather than the Bauble being the focus, we’ve got big ol’ stupid sexy Fblthp.
As many MTG players were quick to point out on Reddit, this version of Fblthp looks weirdly buff. While the art itself, from Diego Gisbert, is admittedly fantastic, Fblthp’s body type does break convention. Typically, this beloved MTG character is far from lean, often being rather pot-bellied.
As if Fblthp wasn’t enough of an oddity, the ever peculiar Loot is also there. Thankfully, for once, he doesn’t look absolutely horrifying, which is always welcome. Unfortunately, even while the art is nice, if a bit peculiar, this card probably won’t be an ultra-expensive, in-demand promo. While there are fancy variants, Wayfarer’s Bauble is hardly difficult to come by.
Having been reprinted in a vast number of preconstructed Commander decks, copies of Wayfarer’s Bauble only sell for around $0.19. While this isn’t fantastic from a value perspective, the card is a true staple in Commander, being found in 595,000 Commander decks. Due to this, less common variants of the card, like the Surge Foil MTG Fallout variant, can sell for upwards of $10.
In theory, this new Wayfarer’s Bauble variant could sell for a similar price; however, the card doesn’t have a true chase printing yet. Despite being a heavily reprinted Commander staple, this is the card’s first promo variant. Considering this new promo is textless, there’s a chance it could sell for quite a premium.
John Avon Forest
As if one promo wasn’t enough, Wizards of the Coast also unveiled the end of a cycle. First debuted at MagicCon: Las Vegas in 2024, the John Avon Lotus lands have all been beloved by the community. Now, the final card, the Forest, has been unveiled, as it continues the trend of looking absolutely gorgeous.
While MTG players have been quick to praise the art on this card, it’s difficult to pin down in terms of value. The other John Avon Lotus lands are all over the place, for instance, so there’s not a clear pricing trend. On one end of the spectrum, the Plains is worth under $3, but the Island is worth over $23.
For better or worse, there’s no telling where the new Forest card might land on this spectrum. While you could argue that this is the prettiest land in the cycle, art is subjective, and everyone has their own tastes. What’s more likely to be the driving factor is how much green players want to bling out their decks.
Looking back at a past cycle of John Avon basic lands, this Forest will likely sit somewhere in the middle. For comparison, out of the full art basics from Unstable, the Forest is the third most expensive card in that cycle. Looking back to Unhinged, however, the Forest is the second most expensive, closely tied with the Island.
Ultimately, while past precedent can give us some clues, there’s no telling how expensive or rare this promo will be. To acquire it, players will need to spend $150 in a single transaction at the on-site Official Show Store, so it’s technically not cheap. What this distribution method does to the price, however, remains to be seen.
A Ways Away
While Wizards of the Coast has revealed these new promos today, MagicCon: Las Vegas 2026 is still a ways away. This event won’t be happening until May 1st, 2026, so we’ve still got a long time to wait. When this convention does finally roll around, however, all eyes will be on that Friday and the Preview Panel.
For now, information about this panel is still shrouded in mystery, but we can expect it to reveal plenty of details as usual. Looking at the 2026 MTG release calendar, we’ll probably get reveals for Marvel Super Heroes and potentially The Hobbit set. While this is the expectation, we won’t know for sure until closer to the convention’s start date.
Thankfully, until that date rolls around, we won’t exactly be short on content. With Lorwyn Eclipsed, the TMNT MTG set, and Secrets of Strixhaven all being released beforehand, we’ve got a blockbuster few months ahead.
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