Like a bolt from the blue, Mystery Booster 2 dropped out of nowhere over the past weekend. It’s a return to the sprawling chaos of the original Mystery Booster product, albeit with unique treatments this time in the form of the Futureshifted frame and white borders. We’ve seen countless cards from the set spoiled already, including pricey staples and previous digital exclusives. As a result, players are well and truly hyped up, but actually playing with these cards might prove difficult. Sadly, it seems that Mystery Booster 2 won’t be getting a much-desired retail release.
Statement Of Exclusivity
In a Twitter exchange on Saturday, Magic’s Principal Designer, Gavin Verhey, all but confirmed that a retail release for the Mystery Booster 2 isn’t happening. Responding to a tweet from Tolarian Community College asking about a Mystery Booster 2 retail release, Verhey made the following statement:
“MB2 is meant to be a special experience for players at conventions. These will be at cons of all types (MagicCon and more!) long term, like MB1. There will be lots of it! As an extension of the con experience, they’ll also be in Festival in a Box, available online.”
Gavin Verhey
This statement, unfortunately for the average player, feels quite definitive. Mystery Booster 2 is clearly intended as a special treat for convention-goers, not a regular Magic set. With this knowledge in mind, all the cool card reveals we’ve seen over the weekend lose a lot of their luster. If they’ll only be available for inflated prices on the secondary market, how much appeal do they hold for the average player?
In the comments, many echoed this sentiment. Prolific MTG YouTuber PleasantKenobi threw in his two cents, asking WotC to reconsider this decision based on the strength of the original Mystery Booster retail release. More on that later. Other players agreed, with many expressing disappointment a rapid loss of excitement following the news, and others bemoaning Magic’s recent reliance on FOMO.
Back To The Past
This news is particularly deflating when you look back at the original Mystery Booster. Unlike Mystery Booster 2, this set actually did get a retail release. A decision that allowed countless players to enjoy its chaotic Draft format. Unfortunately, the circumstances behind said release are so unique that I doubt history will repeat itself here.
You see, the original Mystery Booster began with the same intent as its sequel. It was to be a special, event-exclusive product that led to one-of-a-kind Draft experiences. It was released in November 2019, right around the time the Covid pandemic struck. This was devastating for everyone involved but physical businesses, including Local Game stores, suffered particularly heavy losses.
To remedy this, WotC released a second wave of Mystery Booster product, this time distributed directly to WPN stores to sell. They even gave it out for free, as a show of support in such difficult times. This new version was simply known as ‘Mystery Booster,’ to differentiate from the first wave, the ‘Convention Edition’ seen at events. It lacked the unique playtest cards from the latter, but those weren’t legal outside of the kitchen table anyway, so players could still enjoy the product to the fullest.
Barring another international catastrophe, it’s looking likely that Mystery Booster 2 will stick to the script this time and retain its planned exclusivity. Unfortunately, this is even worse than if the same had happened for the first Mystery Booster. That set featured only reprints, with no new styles or framings to collect. Mystery Booster 2, however, has new Futureshifted and white-bordered versions of cards. On top of that, it also has cards that have never been physically printed before. Ultimately, there’s a lot to miss out on here.
Unsolved Mysteries
The question of whether or not Mystery Booster 2 should get a retail release is a fascinating one to ponder. On one hand, it’s fine in theory to offer exclusive versions of cards to event-goers. We’ve seen plenty of promos and Unknown events in the past to this effect. Scale is the big differentiator here, however. We’ve never seen an entire set, especially not a reprint set packed with desirable cards in cool treatments, restricted purely to events.
For those unable to attend a Magic convention in the next few years, be it for financial or geographical reasons, the mini preview season happening on social media right now likely feels like a slap in the face. It’s like the feeling of seeing a new Secret Lair revealed and knowing you’ll never get one for yourself, just magnified over an entire set. If Mystery Booster 2 stays on its current course, it’s likely to be the next Magic 30. That is to say, an incredibly cool and nostalgic product sunk by terrible execution.
All hope is not yet lost, however. In response to PleasantKenobi’s comment in his thread, Gavin Verhey offered a glimmer of hope that we may see a Mystery Booster 2 retail release yet.
“Rollout and distribution of products is not my role or decision (as you know), but I’m certainly going to pass the loud sentiment I’m hearing along to the people that do manage that stuff. Really appreciate all the feedback!”
Gavin Verhey
It’s great to hear that player concerns are being noticed and passed on like this. Whether or not this will actually result in the change players want to see is unknown for now. But it’s a hopeful first step towards this fantastic-looking product getting the wider audience it deserves.
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