In just under one month, fans will be diving into the Magic: The Gathering fall 2019 set, Throne of Eldraine, which promises to transport players to a world inspired by fairy tales and Arthurian legend. Indeed, many are certain to have their eyes steadily fixed on MTG's Throne of Eldraine set and all of the new opportunities it will bring to constructed and limited play. However, for those that are curious about the sets that will follow Throne of Eldraine, Wizards of the Coast has recently provided information on this matter.
Specifically, WotC has revealed the names of the four major Magic: The Gathering sets scheduled to release in 2020. Almost certainly, there will be supplemental expansions for formats like Commander released alongside these major sets, but the four new sets recently announced by Wizards are what players can expect to be added to the MTG Standard format over the course of next year. The four Magic: The Gathering sets for 2020 are as follows:
- Theros: Beyond Death (Q1 Release)
- Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (Q2 Release)
- Core 2021 (Q3 Release)
- Zendikar Rising (Q4 Release)
While the releases of these four 2020 MTG sets are still quite a ways off, Wizards has already given some hints at what fans can expect from them. With Magic: The Gathering's Theros: Beyond Death set, players will be returning to the world created for 2013's Theros, an expansion that was inspired by Greek mythology and focused around mechanics like Devotion, Heroic, and Monstrous. This time around, it appears that players will be getting a look at the Underworld of Theros as well.
The MTG Zendikar Rising set will take players back to another already established plane: Zendikar. Previous trips to Zendikar have focused around fan favorite mechanics like Landfall, and Wizards indicates that now that "the threat of the Eldrazi gone from the plane, Zendikar Rising is all about adventure."
By contrast, Magic: The Gathering's Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set will exist in an entirely new plane, and it is thus more difficult to get an immediate sense of what the set may be like. That said, WotC has stated that players will get to "play with and make their own monsters," and it includes "one of the craziest mechanics" in recent memory. The details of Core 2021 are similarly vague, though it is known that MTG Planeswalker Teferi will make an appearance.
2020 will mark the 27th year of Magic: The Gathering, and returning to the planes of Theros and Zendikar suggest that it will be a good one for many MTG fans. While some players may be extremely eager to get their hands on packs of Theros: Beyond Death and Zendikar Rising, the ongoing Throne of Eldraine spoilers, and the sets imminent release, should help keep fans occupied until these newly announced sets are available.
Magic: The Gathering is available as Magic: The Gathering Arena on PC.
Source: Twitter