Last updated on August 18, 2025
Breath of Fury – Illustration by Kev Walker
In response to a question on his tumblr blog, Magic's head designer Mark Rosewater acknowledged that “numerous players” have told him that they're overwhelmed with the current “product overload” Magic faces throughout the year.
“The big question is how much is the right amount? Do too little and players get bored and leave the game. Do too much and the players get overwhelmed and leave the game,” he said. “To make things even trickier, each player will experience the volume of Magic in different ways. What’s too much for one player might be not enough for another, so figuring out the proper level is about understanding how Magic players, as a collective whole, are reacting to what we’re making?”
However, Mark also explained where his focus on this issue lies: in the data.
What Does the Data Say?
Arcane Laboratory – Illustration by Stephen Daniele
Mark's point on data vs. anecdotal evidence makes sense. People who have an issue with the game are probably more likely to complain about it or ask questions about potential changes. He listed out the questions their internal data helps answer:
- How much are people playing the latest set?
- How much are people talking online about the latest set?
- How much are people purchasing the latest set?
- What are the general impressions of the latest set?
The data is what guides how many products we make,” Mark said. “Sales are at an all-time high … online conversation about Magic is also at an all-time high. I believe we are on the crux of Magic reaching a new level of public awareness.”
“The data is emphatically saying what we’re doing is working and that the Magic audience, again as a collective whole, is enjoying what we’re producing.”
However, Mark made sure not to neglect enfranchised player's concerns with the pace of new products and sets.
“I hear you. While this amount of products might be what the collective players are happiest with, it’s too much for you personally,” he said. “The big challenge for me is what can I say that helps you? If something is working and the data says the majority of the players are happy with it, we’re going to stay the status quo.”
He closed what is one of his longest blog answers reiterating the sentiment that he hears the concern of some players, but their data shows Magic as growing and performing well by their key metrics. But that data could change.
“Now, if that changes. If the majority start communicating that it’s too much, that we’re making too many products, or there’s too much in Standard, or whatever the issue is, we’ll change,” he said.”
“We are adaptive to the needs of Magic players, but again, the collective whole, more so than any one individual.”
Looking Back
Choco, Seeker of Paradise (Final Fantasy) – Illustration by Miho Midorikawa
Looking back over the year, Mark's words line up with set performance.
Final Fantasy is an obvious standout. It was the largest set ever, brought in $200,000,000 in revenue in the first day, and undoubtedly brought thousands of new players who will continue to play, learn, and love Magic.
FIN's success may have even bled into Edge of Eternities. Mark said that EOE was “being seen internally as a big success,” and that it was “doing very well.” And when we consider that EOE was another unequally themed set in a sea of Universes Beyond and slam-dunk planes like Tarkir, it shows that Magic is growing and succeeding.
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10 Comments
The cards are obviously selling. But are people actually playing with them or are they being hoarded by scalpers? I think we’re in a moment where the TCGs are in an arms race with scalpers to put out more product than scalpers can get their hands on so that more people who actually enjoy playing the game can get their hands on them. In all my years of playing this game, I’ve never had trouble actually finding Magic cards or Pokemon cards to buy up until after Covid. I used to be able to use my GameStop membership to go in and get a free pack once a month, but the Pokemon & Magic the Gathering cards apparently sell out within hours of being stocked. So while it’s true that the big name TCGs and CCGs are putting out more product than ever before and definitely selling that product, long time core players like myself are left out in the cold. The Hasbro board of directors is happy, Mark Rosewater is happy, the scalpers who don’t have normal 9-5 jobs or family responsibilities are happy, but here I am, forced to go through the bulk box at a local card shop to get my hands on any Tarkir or FIN cards whatsoever.
So basically, line is going up, until the line stops going up, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing
Basically.
Gatekeeping is sometimes good, lest the thing being Gatekept become an unrecognizable mess of nonsense. This is not Fortnite or Call of Duty and it doesn’t need to be. Universes Beyond could have simply been another version of Magic just like Commander or Brawl and stayed in its f*cking lane. No card from Universes Beyond should EVER be anything more than a Secret Lair or side set for an alternate format. It has encroached on and destroyed core MtG. Unacceptable. How would you feel if Teen Titans suddenly showed up in Breaking Bad? Or My Little Pony showed up in Terrifier 4? Or Back to the Future characters started waltzing through Doctor Who to round up characters there to invade Sex and the City 2: Electric Boogaloo? How about if scenes, scenarios, and characters from A Serbian Film played during any Pixar film? Don’t p*ss on my head and tell me it’s raining. Don’t pour pickle juice into my cereal and tell me it’s still a pizza. F*ck entirely off with making other IP’s core MtG.
You’re definitely not alone in this line of reasoning but it’s pretty clear at this point UB isn’t going anywhere.
The problem is like this.
You sit down at a restaurant, they give you the menu.
You order a start, a main, and a dessert.
You start your starters and then before you’re half way through the waiter comes in with a piece of your main meal telling you how amazing it tastes. You have a few pieces of your starter left and he slaps the main infront of you and a spoon of your dessert. He then as you just cut into your steak he give you your dessert. Then takes it away and put a 200%surcharge on it because you was interested in it.
Quite the analogy but I see where you’re going here.
Where does the quote in the header image, “We literally can’t print enough cards” come from? This quote is not mentioned or attributed in the article. Please let me know.
Looks like the exact quote from Mark Rosewater was: “We literally can’t print cards fast enough to meet demand.”
The MTG consumer needs an organized response. Dare we whisper “boycott”? Improbable if the audience is addicted to the product but not impossible. Even a 20% response would get attention.
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