Magic: The Gathering enters a new phase with what we’d been dying to see: a return to its origins

Magic: The Gathering has been in a somewhat strange situation for a while. While it’s hitting record highs, part of its fandom feels tremendously dissatisfied with the direction of the game. Detached from its roots, that part feels it’s no longer the game they fell in love with. With the rise and emphasis on franchises that aren’t its own and putting a huge emphasis on Commander, a casual format created by players, they don’t feel that today’s Magic is exactly Magic.

It would be unfair to dismiss that feeling, because the game has changed a lot and it has done so quickly and not always in step with its players. But the new set is trying, in part, to speak to those players who feel they’ve been gradually left behind. Because Reality Fracture, besides closing the current story arc of Magic, does something very important: it brings back everything that seemed to have been left behind.

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A set for nostalgia

Reality Fracture starts from a very simple premise: Jace has decided that he’s tired of having to face cosmic threats and wants to rebuild the multiverse from scratch, but this time without major threats that could destroy it. No Eldrazi or Phyrexians or Nicol Bolas. To do that he decides to fuse different parts of each world in the multiverse to create an ideal version of all of them. Something his former allies and friends will try to prevent, seeing life as they know it at risk. However disastrous it may be.

This means the return of some characters we’ve missed: the planeswalkers. Since the fall of New Phyrexia the planeswalkers have been appearing little by little in each new set, at most one and with greatly reduced power, and that ends here. This set is packed with planeswalkers, including Jace’s triumphant return. Who can also appear in token form because he’s the set’s central figure.

The other important element, and one that will delight the old hands, is that the Preparation mechanic is back. If a creature meets specific conditions it Prepares and, when it does, it can cast a specific spell. Generally, a classic spell from Magic’s history.

Also, Reality Fracture will include a delightful curiosity: echoed pairs. Versions of classic, very well-known cards from Magic’s history, that are now their enemy color. If it used to be red now it’s blue and if it used to be black now it’s white or vice versa, creating an equivalent or opposite effect. This will apply to creatures, spells and planeswalkers alike, so get ready to discover what a white Liliana or a blue Chandra is like, debates that have been coming up on forums for years and that, now, we can finally settle.

A new school of magic emerges

What’s more, Jace not only has the help of inverted-color planeswalkers: he also has a school of magic that is the reverse version of Strixhaven. Made up of five houses, the Konstrari, the Fatehold, the Stingerquill, the Vigorbloom and the Thorix, each has a two-color combination completely different from the ones we saw in Strixhaven. And they stand in direct opposition to those schools. So it wouldn’t be surprising if we ended up seeing their own set in the future.

Beyond that, Reality Fracture has all the usual products for a set like this. Bundles, boosters, commander decks and also, even more importantly, five starter decks for those who want to get into Magic: The Gathering and don’t know where to start.

If you’re curious about Reality Fracture the wait may feel a bit long, because its release date is October 2. But with it being the finale of the current story arc, you can expect not only very interesting cards, but that it will be a full celebration of what Magic: The Gathering is. So all that’s left is to wait patiently and see what this unusual set has in store for us when it finally comes out.