What is the story about?
What's Happening?
Magic: The Gathering has unveiled a new draft format called Pick Two Draft, designed to facilitate smaller crossover sets. This format involves four players, as opposed to the standard eight, who select two cards from their Play Boosters and pass them to their left and right. Corey Bowen, a senior game designer at Magic, explained that this format aims to accommodate casual players and smaller groups, while also allowing for more partnerships that do not require a full set of cards. The new format is expected to support collaborations with various intellectual properties, such as Spider-Man, without needing to create over 300 card concepts. Magic: The Gathering has been actively pursuing Universes Beyond collaborations, with previous full sets based on popular franchises like Final Fantasy and Doctor Who.
Why It's Important?
The introduction of the Pick Two Draft format is significant as it opens up opportunities for Magic: The Gathering to engage in more diverse and frequent collaborations with other franchises. This approach can attract new players who are fans of these franchises but may not be familiar with Magic: The Gathering. By reducing the scale of crossover sets, the game can explore partnerships with intellectual properties that may not have enough content for a full set, thus expanding its reach and appeal. This strategy could lead to increased sales and engagement, benefiting both Magic: The Gathering and the collaborating franchises.
What's Next?
Magic: The Gathering is set to announce a new collaboration with Nickelodeon at New York Comic-Con on October 10. This will be the third partnership between Magic and Nickelodeon, following previous collaborations involving Spongebob Squarepants and Avatar: The Last Airbender. The announcement will reveal the details and scale of the new crossover, potentially utilizing the Pick Two Draft format. As Magic continues to explore new partnerships, players can expect more innovative and diverse sets in the future.
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