Secret Lair has been on quite the rollercoaster ride since Wizards changed things up in early 2024. Once the limited-run printing model came into effect, Secret Lair drops were selling out nearly instantly, which wasn’t ideal for MTG players. Sadly, Wizards wasn’t quick to fix this issue, as many high-profile Secret Lairs ended up selling out in mere hours.
Thankfully, things have started to get slightly better more recently. Over time, it appeared Wizards was tweaking print numbers to meet demand and stop drops from selling out so fast. Mercifully, it seemed this strategy was working, as even Hatsune Miku drops and full Commander decks were left on the digital shelves.
Sadly, it seems this wasn’t meant to last, as the Secret Lair Summer Superdrop 2025 is a worrying return to form. The launch of this latest Superdrop was an absolute disaster and, sadly, that’s putting it lightly. Due to this, MTG players are unsurprisingly wanting Wizards to change things in order to fix this mess.
What Went Wrong
Wizards should have known that the new Final Fantasy Secret Lair drops were going to be popular among MTG players. Even though they didn’t contain any mechanically unique cards, the MTG player base has been rabid for Final Fantasy. Even before the main set was released, pre-orders had already made this set the best-selling release of all time.
With this in mind, you’d think that Wizards would have significantly upped the print run for the Final Fantasy Secret Lair drops. Given how quickly these drops sold out in every region, you’d think that Wizards did the opposite. It took less than an hour for the first drop to sell out, and many others quickly followed suit.
Part of this was clearly overwhelming demand from players, which can be seen in the number of now disappointed fans. To make matters worse, this sale was heavily targeted by scalpers. While this is nothing new, we’re seeing copies of the Final Fantasy Secret Lair drops going for insane premiums on eBay.
Sadly, the trouble doesn’t end there, as some MTG players report that queue-jumping bugs were possible once again. This tech issue ruined several of the Marvel Secret Lair sales, and Wizards did attempt to patch things. Unfortunately, it seems Wizards’ fixes weren’t enough to actually solve this issue, as line skipping exploits still existed.
Like the Marvel Secret Lair drops, this issue was largely abused by scalpers, rather than actual, honest MTG players. Due to this, the supply was drained much faster than expected, and Secret Lairs ended up in the wrong hands. Right now, we can only hope that Wizards is able to patch this exploit before the next Secret Lair sale.
We Need to Go Back
Due to how terrible the Secret Lair Summer Superdrop 2025 went, many MTG players are understandably fed up. Across social media, there has been no end of complaints, and players are calling for major change. Specifically, players want to go back to the good old days of print-to-demand Secret Lair drops.
Unsurprisingly, many MTG players were quick to rally behind this point after it was brought up, and, honestly, it makes perfect sense. While there are a variety of different ways to bring back print-on-demand, any of them is better than what we have now.
As suggested by DeadpoolVII on Reddit, if Wizards really needs FOMO for whatever reason, significantly shorter sales are an option. Previously, Secret Lair drops were available for at least one month, so there was very little time to buy. Shortening this window to just 24 hours would certainly amp up the FOMO, while still giving players reasonable time to make purchases.
Alternatively, Wizards could utilize the hybrid printing method that we already know works wonders. Used for the Pixel Perfect Secret Lair, which supported the Extra Life charity, this drop was both limited-run and printed-to-demand. When the sale first started, a limited quantity was sold limited run, so some players could get cards quickly.
Once these sold out, the sale switched to print-to-demand, which had a much longer wait time. While this did leave some MTG players waiting, it’s nonetheless better than not getting the cards at all. Despite this hybrid printing method being celebrated by fans, Wizards hasn’t rolled out this initiative in any meaningful way.
Wasted Potential
Should neither of these options suffice, Wizards could simply go back to print-to-demand as we knew it. Hell, Wizards could even just charge more for pre-printed copies of Secret Lair drops if they really wanted to. Clearly, Wizards is willing to experiment with Secret Lair pricing, so if anything, it’s surprising this hasn’t been done already.
Regardless of what Wizards chooses to do, making a change like this isn’t just for players. While we’re sure that Hasbro can celebrate how fast everything sold out in their next investors meeting, things could have been much better. By allowing things to sell out this quickly, Wizards undoubtedly left money on the table, since players wanted to buy more.
If Wizards is sensible, these disgruntled players who missed out should be allowed to buy what they want. After all, more sales surely mean more money for Wizards’ pockets. Admittedly, when you factor in printing and shipping costs, especially for print-to-demand, it’s unlikely things are that simple.
At the very least, even if Wizards isn’t going to change printing models for whatever reason, the exploits need to be fixed. Scalpers should not be allowed to ruin sales, and Wizards need to be a lot stricter about controlling things. Sadly, some MTG players doubt these needed fixes will ever happen, since to Wizards, a sale is a sale.
Ultimately, we’re sadly not very optimistic about Wizards fixing Secret Lair drops anytime soon. These issues have been known about for over a year and a half at this point, and changes have been incredibly slow. We can only hope that things improve in the future.
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