MTG Arena has a lot of unique features that give the platform a different feel than paper Magic. While players are still able to play some of the same formats, like Standard and draft, the play experience can feel a bit different. On MTG Arena, there are cool visual and sound effects when certain cards are played. Players can make use of pets as a neat aesthetic choice. In this sense, Arena has some qualities that can make it feel like a video game.
As such, the developers also have the opportunity to add in amusing features at will. With April Fool’s just around the corner, it appears as though a couple intriguing changes have been made. April Fool’s is a time for funny pranks and wacky installments, and this year is no exception.
A Brief History
Over the past few years, Wizards of the Coast has made a point to emphasize April Fool’s Day with funny changes. In 2022, all of the avatars on MTG Arena became equipped with googly eyes, making them look hysterical. In 2023, players that chose not to keep their MTG Arena cards in virtual sleeves quickly noticed that they looked completely damaged on screen.
Furthermore, the background for everyone’s games looks like old-fashioned desks from a classroom, with some interesting references to MTG scattered throughout. Even beyond MTG Arena, back in 2020, a special April Fool’s Secret Lair product was revealed, highlighting cards like Storm Crow that have essentially become famous memes at this point.
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April Fool’s 2024
This weekend, players noticed some notable changes in preparation for April Fool’s Day on Monday. First and foremost, on March 30, MTG Arena players received a message depicting the artwork of One with Nothing. As it turns out, players were able to claim a playset of this card at no cost!
Supposedly, One with Nothing was utilized as a developer-only card on MTG Arena to help test certain situations. Roughly 10 months ago, some players noticed the outline for One with Nothing amongst other black one-drops in the card library, suggesting that the card might be available on MTG Arena in the first place. As it turns out, a Wizards of the Coast employee stated that it was indeed a test card and that it should have remained hidden.
Now, One with Nothing is actually available for use. Unfortunately, One with Nothing is rather infamous for just how bad it truly is. Some players held out hope that it would make its presence felt in a Dredge shell of some kind, but the card has seen little to no competitive play over the years. Still, much like Storm Crow, the card is quite recognizable and amusing, so it seems like a perfect addition for April Fool’s.
The addition of One with Nothing isn’t the only implementation on MTG Arena this weekend, though. Players also were greeted with a new pet available for purchase in the store. This isn’t any pet, though. It’s a PET ROCK! For 200 gems or 1,000 gold, the pet rock can be yours. It even has a name: Dwayne, which is likely in direct reference to famous wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
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Player Reaction
With regards to the addition of the pet rock, despite needing to be purchased, plenty of players seemed quite enthusiastic about its appearance on MTG Arena. It certainly shouldn’t break the bank, and even for players that don’t generally make use of the pet feature, the pet rock may change their approach. It’s unclear exactly how long this pet will be available for purchase, so if you’re interested, make sure to be quick.
As for One with Nothing, players seemed pleased that more cards were being added on MTG Arena for free. Some players even took it upon themselves to incorporate One with Nothing into their decks just for fun. In one case, a player with 56 Lands and 4 copies of One with Nothing managed to win a game thanks to the opponent casting Juggle the Performance! The opponent ended up with a bunch of useless cards as a result, and hilarity ensued.
These April Fool’s additions seem to always be a hit with the player base. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for any other wacky antics that could arise tomorrow, too. Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait and see if 2025 can top years prior.
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