It's the first day of MagicCon Atlanta, and Wizards of the Coast has just wrapped it's Preview Panel for the MTG release schedule in 2026 - and man, that was an emotional roller-coaster. The long-awaited Lorwyn Eclipsed promises compelling card designs with well-chosen call-backs; a mid-year Marvel set looks like a parade of sweaty Lycra; and then arriving at warp speed, Magic: The Gathering - Star Trek is set to zoom in as the final Standard set of 2026.
2026 will be the second year when half of all mainline MTG sets are Universes Beyond sets, using external IP instead of the Magic multiverse. Star Trek is a fandom juggernaut - let's see if it can capture the enthusiasm of MTG fans the same way that Final Fantasy did.
Here's everything that Wizards of the Coast previewed at MagicCon Atlanta, in the order it's going to be released:
Lorwyn Eclipsed
Initially slated for a 2025 release, the long-awaited return to Lorwyn (or is it Shadowmoor?) was bumped to January 23 2026 by the decision to make all Universes Beyond MTG sets standard legal. The original lore had the summery Lorwyn exist in a permanent cycle with its shadowy twin plane Shadowmoor, one turning into the other - but now the day and night sides of Lorwyn butt up against one another.
That's represented in some new modal double faced cards. The first of these to be shown off - the mythic rare Elemental God Eirdue, Carrier of Dawn - can transform into its Shadowmoor counterpart Isilu, Carrier of Twilight.
We also got to see new flipping versions of some returning characters, Sygg and Ashling, plus art for the returning Brigid and Grub.
The original Lorwyn block was the first set to introduce the Race / Class subtype convention for creatures. The block was packed with typal synergies and - as it was the early days for R&D to experiment with the Race / Class convention - the result was a murderously complex draft environment. The previews so far suggest that typal synergy is less important this time around.
But if typal strategies do matter, the Mutable Explorer will be useful. This is a 1/1 Shapeshifter with the Changeling ability - meaning it's all creature types - and when it enters, you create a Mutavault token. Lands just got another toy.
For a block that wasn't super well received at the time, it produced some enduring cards, like as the ubiquitous tokens favorite Bitterblossom. That gets a great callback at mythic rare in the Bittermbloom Bearer, a 1/1 Faerie Rogue with Flash and Flying that costs two black mana and has the classic Bitterblossom ability to make more Faerie tokens.
The powerful Evoke ability - bane of Modern - made its debut in Lorwyn, and returns here. The Elemental Incarnation Emptines can be cast or evoked for hybrid white black mana: if you manage to cast it with two white you also get a reanimation effect, while casting it for two black mana gives you a removal spell.
There are more callbacks - the Figure of Fable is a spot on reference to the Figure of Destiny. The new Figure costs one white or green hybrid mana, and can be powered up into an increasingly large goon with more mana investment.
The Kindred supertype makes a return as well. This is a niche but powerful effect that gives creature subtypes to non-creature spells - its simplest use is to make them findable by tutors. The first preview of it comes on another returning favorite - we're getting new Command cards.
If all of that wasn't enough, five more shock lands will enter standard via Lorwyn. Shocking.
There are two neat sidelines arriving with Lorwyn Eclipsed. First, DnD players will be able to enjoy a digital Lorwyn supplement, so they can take their characters to a world of Celtic folklore.
Then there's the news of two 60 card standard-legal theme decks. We can only hope that by the time Lorwyn launches - and after a much needed Vivi ban - standard is a format worth buying into.
Secrets of Strixhaven
In April 2026 we're set to return to the plane of Arcavios and the wizarding world of Strixhaven. The scholars are on a field trip this time and going outside the campus gates - presumably to do something a little more important than get wrecked at a kegger.
The set will apparently continue a plot that started in Outlaws of Thunder Junction when Jace adopted / abducted Loot, the cute mascot critter with an interdimensional map in his head. In Tarkir Dragonstorm that map led Jace to the Meditation Realm, where he botched a ritual. Guess we'll see the results!
As well as web fiction, this set is going to get a full length novel. Written by Seanan McGuire, 'Omens of Chaos' will be a YA novel that follows the first class of interplanar students who've arrived at the college via Omenpath. And in a really retro turn of events, it's going to come with a book promo card - an Arcavios Command Tower.
Unannounced Universes Beyond
The second set of 2026 is an unannounced Universes Beyond set, landing in March 2026 - early speculation suggests it's the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Wizards had nothing to say about it at this stage, but we can expect more details to be revealed at New York Comic-Con on October 10.
Marvel Super Heroes
June 2026 sees yet more Universes Beyond - and this time they've put a big bucket scoop into the Marvel IP bin, and hauled out everything they could grap. WotC has shown off art for Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Erik Killmonger, the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, teh Defenders, Squirrel Girl (the most powerful super hero in the Marvel universe), and a grab bag of other heroes and villains.
Lets just hope it's better than Spider-Man.
The Hobbit
August 2026 brings with it a return to Middle-Earth, this time the Hobbit. Wizards didn't have much to say in the way of details, but did show off some nice art. Will there be another global hunt for a serialised One of One Ring?
Reality Fracture
Releasing in October 2026, Reality Fracture will apparently conclude the Jace plotline (which WotC is calling The Metronome Arc), but they haven't said exactly how. That name is evocative though, isn't it? It calls to mind Planar Chaos, Time Spiral, or maybe even Shards of Alara.
Star Trek
WotC didn't have anything to say about Star Trek except for the release date - November 2026. But it did have a stack of great, original art to show, with characters (and space ships) from both the Original Series and The Next Generation. And judging by that James T Kirk, they've got Shatner's license rights. Iconic.
I just have my fingers crossed the license covers Deep Space Nine and Voyager. My partner wants a Janeway deck: I'm dying to make something with Garak.
Final Fantasy Christmas releases
Wizards made absolute bank on its Lord of the Rings Christmas bundles, so it's not too surprising that it's trying to repeat the trick with Final Fantasy. It's releasing four Scene Boxes on December 5, each one based around a different game: FFI, FFVIII, FFIX, and FFXV.
Each set contains six mechanically unique cards with one piece of art split between them (plus art cards that make up the scene without any text in the way). WotC revealed the cards for three of the boxes, but Square Enix is going to show off the contents for the FFIX box.
That's not all. If you're in the US you'll be able to pick up a new bundle which contains the Limit Break Commander Precon - the one starring Cloud, Ex-Soldier, a promo printing of Cloud, Midgar Mercenary featuring art from the original 1997 version of Final Fantasy, and a PC copy of the original game.
Then there's the Chobocobo Bundle: 10 Play Boosters, a promo 'Paradise Chocobo' Birds of Paradise, 10 'Chocobo Track Foil' basic lands, and two Chocobo Track Foil versions of cards from the main set or the commander decks - and yes, that could include Vivi. WotC showed off several dozen cards, and apparently Square Enix has more to show.
Whew! We were expecting a lot, but we weren't expecting quite that much. What are you most excited about? Was there anything we missed? Let us know in the Wargamer Discord community!