Locations
Today, Head Designer of Magic Mark Rosewater explained several issues that have been affecting the game for years as well as the changes being made to address them. Specifically:
- Beginning with next fall's (2015's) set, blocks will all be two sets instead of three.
- Core Sets are giving way to make room for two two-set blocks each year.
- Starting in 2016, when the second two-set block is released, the first set of each block will cause Standard to rotate.
- Also in 2016, Standard will "expand" to include three blocks at a time which means sets will rotate faster than before.
Rosewater went on to address that Block will still exist (and be the two sets as appropriate) as well as how one of the upcoming rotations in the switchover from three-set blocks to two-set works out.
| Time of Release | Large Set Released | Block/Sets Rotating Out | Standard, in Blocks |
| Fall 2014 | Khans of Tarkir | Return to Ravnica | Still two three-set blocks |
| Spring 2015 | "Louie" | Nothing rotates | Still two three-set blocks |
| Fall 2015 | "Blood" | Theros block | Still two three-set blocks |
| Spring 2016 | "Tears" | Khans of Tarkir and "Dewey" (winter '15) | Now three two-set blocks |
| Fall 2016 | "Lock" | Next year's core set and "Louie" (spring '15) | Three two-set blocks |
| Spring 2017 | "Barrel" | "Blood" block | Three two-set blocks |
From now through "Blood" block, Standard will stay as is, at two three-set blocks. Then, with the release of "Tears" block, the first spring block (in the spring of 2016), Standard will change over to be three two-set blocks. For the purposes of rotation, we are splitting the three sets of the Khans of Tarkir block, plus the core set to be released in 2015, into two, two-set blocks: Khans of Tarkir and "Dewey" is one and "Louie" and the 2015 core set is the other. Khans of Tarkir and "Dewey" will rotate out spring 2016 as a unit, and "Louie" and the core set will rotate out fall 2016 as a unit.
How these changes will affect mechanics, themes, and storytelling all remain to be seen. What do you think of the upcoming changes to Magic?
