Magic: The Gathering’s 2023 sets include digging for dinosaurs and a return to Eldraine
Alongside more Phyrexia releases.
Next year’s core sets for Magic: The Gathering will include more Eldraine content and a crossover between dinosaurs, pirates and vampires.
Announced as part of the Wizards Presents 2022 event, the upcoming core sets for Magic: The Gathering will provide players with a varied selection of releases, each one focusing on either classic Magic: The Gathering settings or entirely new ones.
The next set for the trading card game will be Dominaria United, a return to a storyline that began with the release of the very first Magic: The Gathering set. Dominaria United will see players experience a battle between the forces of Phyrexia and Dominaria, which will continue with Brother’s War – both set to be released this autumn. January 2023 will then see the release of Phyrexia: All Will Be One, before March of the Machine and March of the Machine: The Aftermath in Q2 completes the entire arc.
Phyrexia is one of the many planes found in the world of Magic: The Gathering and is primarily characterised by its population of artificial creatures, who are seemingly able to evolve into greater and more terrible beings. The plane has a long history that is tied to a mysteriously evil planeswalker who believed that an artificial body was superior to an organic one.
According to Wizards, March of the Machine: The Aftermath will “explore the fundamental changes that have taken place in Magic’s Multiverse,” as well as conclude the storyline surrounding Phyrexia.
Later on in the year, in Q3, players will be able to return once again to the plane of Eldraine with the Wilds of Eldraine set. Introduced in the 2019 Throne of Eldraine set, the plane is known for its classic medieval fantasy and fairytale elements, as well as the lands of the Wilds – which is where the fae and various strange magical creatures roam. Throne of Eldraine featured several new gameplay mechanics including the Magic: The Gathering keyword Adamant, which would see additional or alternative effects occur if the player cast the spell using three or more mana of one colour.
Finally, Q4 2023 will see the release of the Lost Caverns of Ixalan, a core set that will see the clash of three major factions – pirates, dinosaurs and vampires. Additional details on the core set, such as gameplay mechanics and specific cards, are yet to be revealed.
Besides the upcoming core sets, Wizards Presents 2022 saw several other Magic: The Gathering announcements being made such as the reveal of more Universes Beyond sets – including the Warhammer 40,000 sets, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set and a set based on the beloved sci-fi television series Doctor Who.