With March of the Machine behind us, and the Phyrexian Arc concluded, all eyes have turned toward the next premier MTG set. In case you’ve not been keeping up with the release calendar, this upcoming set is Wilds of Eldraine. Set to release on September 8th, 2023, this Fall release would typically herald in the season of Rotation and Renewal for MTG. This time around, however, things are a little bit different.
Due to the failing appeal of Standard on paper, recently, Wizards of the Coast set out to save the format. Ushering in new sweeping changes, Wizards has dramatically shaken up both the ban and rotation schedule. As a result of this, rotation in 2023 isn’t what you might expect, as Standard is effectively skipping a year.
Since this is a rather unusual occurrence, we’ve put together this helpful guide to help you navigate the latest round of rotation or rather the lack thereof. So, without any further ado, let’s dive into all you need to know about Rotation and Renewal in 2023!
MTG Standard Rotation in 2023
Thanks to Wizards of the Coast’s recently announced plans to save Standard, nothing is rotating out of Standard in 2023. This has been caused by Standard moving to a three-year rotation. In theory, this change should revitalize the format by increasing the number of playable cards over time.
Unfortunately, whether or not the move to a three-year rotation will actually improve Standard or not remains to be seen. Since upcoming sets, including Wilds of Eldraine, haven’t been designed with this new rotation in mind, there’s a non-zero chance it could cause problems.
Thankfully, if this does happen Wizards has allowed for expedited ban windows shortly after a set’s release to curb problematic cards. While this should definitely help to keep Standard being a healthy format, unfortunately, this may increase complexity for new players.
To return from that brief tangent, it’s worthwhile stating again that nothing is rotating out of Standard in 2023. In order to make this as clear as possible, here’s a rundown of everything that will be in Standard until rotation next year! As a note, since some of the sets in this list haven’t been announced yet, we’ll be using some Codenames from Wizards.
Sets in Standard Until Fall 2024
- Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Streets of New Capenna
- Dominaria United
- The Brothers’ War
- Phyrexia: All Will Be One
- March of the Machine
- March of the Machine: The Aftermath
- Wilds of Eldraine (Once Released)
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (Once Released)
- Polo (Once Released)
- Quilting (Once Released)
As a quick note, the Standard adjacent Brawl format will continue to use Standard’s rotation.
MTG Alchemy Rotation in 2023
While it may not be the most popular format in MTG, Alchemy is nonetheless worth keeping an eye on in 2023. Not only is this because of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth which just released, but also, rotation! Unlike Standard, in 2023, Alchemy is going ahead with the two-year rotation as planned!
As was previously expected, Alchemy’s rotation will come into effect once Wilds of Eldraine releases on September 8th, 2023. While this should be fairly straightforward, it’s worth keeping in mind that Alchemy has a number of digital-exclusive and supplemental sets. While all these sets could make rotation rather confusing, thankfully we’re here to help! So, without any further ado, here are the sets rotating out of Alchemy in 2023!
Sets Rotating Out of Alchemy in 2023
- Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Alchemy: Innistrad
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Alchemy: Kamigawa
- Streets of New Capenna
- Alchemy: New Capenna
- Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate
Thankfully, when looking at the current Alchemy meta, it appears the upcoming rotation should make some dramatic changes. A lot of mono-red decks, for instance, will lose many key pieces such as Play with Fire and Kumano Faces Kakkazan. While it’s unlikely these decks will be eradicated for long, it’ll nevertheless be nice to see an actual shakeup to the meta.
Alongside this much-needed benefit of Rotation, on MTG Arena, this rotation carries a second benefit. Since these cards will no longer be playable in Alchemy, cards from these sets can now be balanced solely for Historic. In theory, this should make Wizards’ job that much easier, since balancing for multiple formats is a difficult feat. That being said, however, when Wizards does balance cards for Historic, players tend to complain, so maybe it’s not for the best after all.
MTG Standard Rotation in 2024
To get a head start on next year, thankfully, Standard’s rotation will regain some normalcy in 2024. As, after skipping rotation this year, 2024 will pick up where we left off. This means that the oldest four sets in Standard will rotate out to give the format a shake-up. As usual, this will happen once the fall set of 2024 releases.
Currently, we don’t know the name of the 2024 Fall set, or when it will exactly be released. That being said, however, we do know the four sets will be rotating out. So, without any more waffling, here are the sets rotating out of Standard in 2024!
- Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Streets of New Capenna
What Is Renewal in MTG Arena?
To coincide with rotation on MTG Arena, previous years have also brought along “Renewal Season.” According to Wizards of the Coast, this was a time of giving out “special gifts and updates.” In non-marketing jargon, this means players were given a “Renewal Egg,” which contained ten individual card rewards.
While this Renewal Egg was given out in 2022 to mitigate the burden of rotation on Standard players, it’s unclear if this trend will continue. After all, in 2023, only Alchemy is rotating. As a result of this, there’s not going to be as much of an economic burden on players. This could lead Wizards to skip out renewal season entirely this year.
Ultimately, at the time of writing, Wizards of the Coast hasn’t announced Renewal plans for 2023 just yet, Subsequently, we’re just going to have to wait and see what happens later in the year. Thankfully, MTG players shouldn’t be stuck waiting for long, as the release of Wilds of Eldraine is drawing ever closer.
What to do With Your Rotated Cards
Unless you rent your Standard decks, having cards rotate out of Standard can be a massive blow to your collection. Thankfully, various other formats can give your cards a new lease of life outside of Standard.
On MTG Arena, Wizards of the Coast offers two formats to give your cards a new home, Historic, and Explorer. In Historic, players can use any cards in their library, including Alchemy cards, provided they’re not banned. In Explorer, however, players may only use the “cards legal in the Pioneer format that appear on Arena.”
Those who choose to play on paper have far more options available to continue using their rotated cards. Alongside the formats such as Modern and Pioneer, paper Magic is also the best way to play Commander. As a more casual format, Standard cards are less likely to be too weak to play in Commander. This is especially true if you’re building one of the more novelty or tribal decks.
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