Big things are coming in 2023.
Wizards of the Coast aren’t pulling any punches when it comes to releasing MTG sets in 2023. As for Standard sets, the Phyrexian story arc will come to an end as Elesh Norn looks to take control of the multiverse in March of the Machines. Then, there will be a return to Eldraine and Ixalan at the tail end of 2023 into early 2024, creating a brand new story for Magic players and collectors to enjoy.
Even outside of Standard there are Universes Beyond, a range of products that combines Magic: The Gathering with some of the most popular brands such as Fortnite, Stranger Things, and more recently, Warhammer 40,000. Remember, Wizards of the Coast start their yearly set schedule from Winter to Fall, with Winter starting in January.
With that, let’s break down the biggest Magic releases coming in 2023 and early 2024.
Dominaria Remastered – January 13, 2023
Market Price: $253.60
Market Price: $140.28
The first release of 2023 is Dominaria Remastered, the second entry in the remastered series, the first being Time Spiral Remastered. Unlike Time Spiral Remastered, Dominaria Remastered reaches across numerous Magic: The Gathering sets to combine a mixture of nostalgia representing the history of Dominaria. In total, twenty-seven sets took place on the plane of Dominaria, of which each will see cards featured within this release.
As for supplemental releases, Dominaria Remastered will be a limited print run but will offer Collector Boosters alongside the traditional Draft Boosters. As part of Wizards Presents, Wizards of the Coast revealed a smattering of cards to give MTG players an idea of what to expect with the nostalgic release — Force of Will and Arboria will feature in the set, coming in traditional, borderless, and retro frame treatments. Dominaria Remastered dropped on January 13, 2023 and will be the first product release of 2023.
Phyrexia: All Will Be One – February 10, 2023
Market Price: $212.91
Market Price: $96.42
Market Price: $118.54
The first Standard set of 2023 will be Phyrexia: All Will Be One, which takes us back to the morbid and artificial plane of Phyrexia. Elesh Norn returns to embark on her plan of invading numerous planes with Realmbreaker, the Phyrexian takes to the Invasion Tree. Phyrexia: All Will Be One introduces new mechanics such as Toxic, Corrupted, Oil Counters, and Proliferate seeing a return. Also, it saw five new compleated Planeswalkers in Jace, Nissa, Vraska, Lukka, and Nahiri — all of which join Elesh Norn’s plan of compleat control of the multiverse. Phyrexia: All Will Be One dropped on February 10, 2023.
March of the Machine – April 21, 2023
Market Price: $106.45
Market Price: $116.59
Market Price: $214.34
The final entry in the story arc spanning Dominaria United, The Brothers’ War, and Phyrexia: All Will Be One, March of the Machine sees the entire Multiverse rally together to quell the Phyrexians once and for all. With the release, you can expect to see fantastic Legendary pairings such as Thalia and the Gitrog Monster and Yargle and Multani appear in the release.
Going further, March of the Machine introduces Chandra, Hope’s Beacon, one of the headline Mythic Rare cards from the release. Also, March of the Machine will offer the usual array of Draft, Set, Jumpstart, and Collector Boosters along with five Commander Precons to support the release. With the multiverse banding together from the onslaught of Phyrexians, expect to see a return of well-loved Magic characters — compleated or not. March of the Machine will drop on April 21, 2023.
March of the Machine: The Aftermath – May 12, 2023
Market Price: $64.40
Market Price: $145.33
Market Price: $37.40
March of the Machine: The Aftermath will be a rare annual fifth release to the Standard roster, but it won’t be a typical full set according to Wizards of the Coast. Admittedly, it is something new but will feature Standard legal cards for tabletop and MTG Arena play. In total, there will be fifty cards in this micro-Standard expansion to help tie up lose ends from March of the Machine before we dive into Wilds of Eldraine. Since this release is so small, March of the Machine: The Aftermath will introduce Epilogue Boosters, a five-card pack telling the story of what happened beyond this Phyrexian conflict. As for the plot, March of the Machine: The Aftermath will tie up some loose ends and mark the beginning of a new storyline within the MTG multiverse. March of the Machine: The Aftermath will release May 12, 2023, shortly after the first March of the Machine expansion.
Universes Beyond: Lord of the Rings: Tales of the Middle-Earth – June 23, 2023
Market Price: $128.48
Market Price: $162.34
Market Price: $368.60
Another supplemental release similar to Dominaria Remastered, Lord of the Rings: Tales of the Middle-Earthis the first full set release under the Universes Beyond banner. By using Lord of the Rings cards with the Magic: The Gathering frame, Tales of the Middle-Earth is designed to be straight-to-Modern but won’t be the same design intricacies as Modern Horizons. With that, this means the highly-anticipated will not be Standard or Pioneer legal, nor will it come to MTG Arena. However, Wizards of the Coast will offer the complete range of Draft, Set, Jumpstart, and Collector Boosters along with Bundles, Bundle Gift Edition, and Prerelease Kits to support the release.
Market Price: $12.79
Market Price: $46.74
Market Price: $93.31
In addition, there will be four Commander Precons, twenty of which are never-before-seen Magic: The Gathering cards. The unique crossover will feature a new range of card treatments, including borderless and textless scene cards. When combined, these scene cards will form a recognizable scene from the Lord of the Rings books, including the Battle of Pelennor Fields as revealed by Wizards of the Coast. Lord of the Rings: Tales of the Middle-Earth is due to drop in late June 2023.
Commander Masters – August 4, 2023
Market Price: $307.31
Market Price: $248.61
Releasing August 4, 2023, Commander Masters marks the first-ever fully-committed Commander reprint release. For Commander Masters, Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters will feature, offering a wealth of highly desirable Commander reprint cards. Right now, Jeweled Lotus, The Ur-Dragon, and Capture of Jingzhou are confirmed to feature along with Textured and Foil Etched treatments making a return.
Market Price: n/a
Market Price: n/a
In addition to these stunning treatments, Frame Break and Profile Borderless Frame treatments will feature in Commander Masters — offering excellent attention to some of Magic’s most Legendary Commander cards. Supporting the release will be four Commander Precon Decks — Silvers, Eldrazi, Planeswalkers, and Enchantments will support this first-time Commander reprint product. Even though Commander Masters is a fully-reprint release, the Commander Precons will introduce new cards.
Wilds of Eldraine – September 8, 2023
To extend the high-fantasy setting, Wilds of Eldraine will be the next Standard release after March of the Machine: The Aftermath. Wilds of Eldraine is expected to be a palette cleanser after the events with the Phyrexians in the previous set, so expect Wilds of Eldraine to offer whimsical fairy tale wonder featuring The Realm. Wilds of Eldraine will drop September 8.
With the release of Wilds of Eldraine, it will trigger Standard rotation pushing Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and Streets of New Capenna out of the format.
Universes Beyond: Doctor Who – October 13, 2023
Another Universes Beyond release expected in the fall of 2023 is Doctor Who, a popular science fiction television program produced by the BBC. Universes Beyond: Doctor Who will feature four Commander Precons which include 50 cards each. In addition, there will be unique card treatments, and Collector Boosters, and a Secret Lair to support the October 13 release.
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan – Winter 2024
Winter 2024 sees the second return to Ixalan with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, the plane packed with dinosaurs, pirates, and vampires. Plenty has changed on Ixalan since the disappearance of The Immortal Sun, but plenty dwells underneath the sea and sand of Ixalan. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan will be the first MTG Standard release of 2024.
MTG Release Schedule 2023 – Recap
To recap, here is the release schedule for MTG Standard releases in 2023. As mentioned earlier, Wilds of Eldraine will trigger Standard rotation where Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and Streets of New Capenna will rotate out.
