If you were lucky enough to attend MagicCon: Atlanta, you probably caught the big preview panel showcasing everything Magic: The Gathering has in store for 2026. For everyone else, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. Wizards of the Coast came out swinging, revealing one of the most ambitious yearly schedules in Magic’s history. Seven new Standard-legal sets are planned for next year, and four of them will fall under the Universes Beyond banner. Whether you’re thrilled about more crossovers or you’re longing for a return to Magic’s classic worlds, 2026 is shaping up to be a wild, lore-rich, and meta-shifting year.
Lorwyn Eclipsed
The year kicks off strong with Lorwyn Eclipsed, finally arriving on January 23rd. Originally planned for 2025, this long-awaited return to Lorwyn promises to capture everything fans loved about the plane—its beauty, its whimsy, and its shadows. The set uses an innovative take on double-sided cards to represent the eternal clash between light and darkness. Some creatures feature their traditional Lorwyn forms on one side and their darker Shadowmoor counterparts on the other.
Cards like Morningtide’s Light, a powerful white protection spell. and Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn perfectly showcases this duality mechanic. Wizards even teased new card treatments, the completion of the shock land cycle, and a clever “choose your art” approach that lets players decide which side of the card art to display.
To complement its release, Lorwyn Eclipsed will include a full product lineup—Pre-Release events, Boosters, Bundles, and two Commander precons (including a five-color deck that has me intrigued). There’s also a new product debuting alongside it called Draft Night, a box containing everything you need for a four-player “pick-two” draft session.
First set of 60-Card themed decks
And while it’s not directly tied to Lorwyn, Wizards will also begin launching new 60-card themed decks, starting with Pirates and Angels—accessible, upgradeable decks meant for quick, lower-power games.
Unannounced Universes Beyond (Possibly Nickelodeon)
March brings the first mystery of the year: an unannounced Universes Beyond set, heavily rumored to be a collaboration with Nickelodeon. Details are under wraps until New York Comic Con, but speculation is already running wild. Could it feature The Rugrats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or even SpongeBob SquarePants? Nickelodeon’s catalog is vast enough to make this one of the most unpredictable crossovers yet.
I’ll be sharing my theories, and some wishlist items, in another article soon.
Secrets of Strixhaven
In early summer, we return to one of Magic’s most beloved modern settings with Secrets of Strixhaven. This time, the story ventures beyond the academy’s walls, exploring the greater world of Arcavios. As head designer Mark Rosewater described it, the set follows students deeper into their academic journeys—think of it as Magic: The Grad School Years.
Personally, I’m thrilled about this return. The original Strixhaven set was bursting with personality, and if Wizards expands its characters and magic systems, this could become one of 2026’s most flavorful sets. Expect the standard suite of products, along with Draft Night boxes and possibly four Commander decks. Wizards even confirmed that physical novels will make a comeback, beginning with Strixhaven’s story, each bundled with an exclusive promo Command Tower.
UB: Marvel Super Heroes
June marks Magic’s second foray into the Marvel universe with Universes Beyond: Marvel Super Heroes. Audience reactions during the reveal were mixed—half the room cheered while the other half stayed cautious. That hesitation makes sense; the Spider-Man Universes Beyond set also received mixed reactions. Some players loved its creativity and flavor, while others felt it didn’t quite hit the mark mechanically.
If Wizards wants Marvel Super Heroes to succeed, they’ll need to approach it with the same care and balance that made the Final Fantasy crossover so universally praised. That set managed to respect its source material while still feeling distinctly like Magic—a tricky balance that could elevate the Marvel universe far beyond simple fan service.
This new Marvel set won’t focus on any specific storyline or era but will instead encompass the entire Marvel universe. That gives Wizards plenty of room to design imaginative archetypes and Commander options spanning cosmic heroes, street-level vigilantes, and everything in between. As long as they resist the urge to overload it with Legendary Creatures, Marvel Super Heroes could end up being a true highlight of 2026.
UB: The Hobbit
Following Marvel, we stay in crossover territory with Universes Beyond: The Hobbit, releasing in August 2026. The Lord of the Rings set remains one of the most successful Universes Beyond products to date, so it’s no surprise Wizards is returning to Middle-earth.
The big question is how much new ground they can cover. Many fans are hoping for a mix of reprints from Tales of Middle-earth and brand-new cards focusing on the earlier events of Tolkien’s world. A 50/50 blend of both sounds ideal to me—familiar, yet fresh.
Reality Fracture
In October 2026, Magic turns inward with Reality Fracture, the final in-universe set of the year. Wizards kept details vague, only teasing that it’s “something fans have been asking for.” The title alone evokes multiversal chaos—maybe even a convergence of planes. Could we see an all-out crossover between heroes and villains from across Magic’s history? Or, as some fans speculate, “color-swapped” versions of iconic characters like a blue Chandra or a white Liliana? Whatever it turns out to be, it sounds like the kind of ambitious concept. And with that sort of ambition I could see this set having five commander pre-cons like Tarkir: Dragonstorm.
UB: Star Trek
Finally, the year closes with Universes Beyond: Star Trek, and while I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of science fiction, I can’t deny the potential here. If Wizards gives this set the same elegance and mechanical depth that made Edge of Eternities so memorable, it could easily become the standout Universes Beyond release of 2026.
Magic’s designers have proven they can merge sci-fi and fantasy beautifully, and Star Trek’s focus on exploration, philosophy, and diplomacy could translate into some fascinating design space. My prediction? This might quietly become the set that wins over even the skeptics.
Final Thoughts
2026 feels like a pivotal moment for Magic: The Gathering. We’re seeing a confident mix of nostalgia with innovation, from returning to planes like Lorwyn and Strixhaven to boldly crossing universes with Marvel, The Hobbit, and Star Trek. It’s also worth noting how seamlessly Magic’s design direction continues to evolve. Sets like Edge of Eternities and Tarkir: Dragonstorm already proved that bold experimentation can coexist with deep lore, and Lorwyn Eclipsed looks ready to carry that torch.
Whether you’re a Universes Beyond enthusiast or someone who misses the old-school Magic worlds, next year’s lineup promises something for everyone. Personally, I can’t wait to crack open a pack of Lorwyn Eclipsed, revisit my Edge of Eternities decks with some amped up Sci-Fi, and see just how fractured the Reality of Magic can become.
