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MagicCon Chicago came and went this weekend, and as has become a tradition at these events, we got to see a cool new preview panel on Friday. This panel showcased several upcoming sets with cards, art, and even the reveal of an upcoming release that had previously been shown as "to be announced." I'm going to quickly break down all of the major announcements from the panel today so you can all get a brief look at everything shown off.
Let's jump in!
Tarkir: Dragonstorm
Kicking off the panel was discussion on Tarkir: Dragonstorm, the next set releasing in early April. The majority of the focus with this panel was explaining the lore somewhat, and showing off the current state of the plane. With the weakening dragonstorms due to Ugin's time off-plane and the Phyrexian Invasion taking out large numbers of dragons, the clans have taken over and are back again. Each clan was shown off, showing the art for the Khans and their new spirit dragon compatriots.
We also got looks at several awesome new cards. A new Mox is coming in the form of Mox Jasper, including a special retro framed serialized version featuring Dan Frazier art. Cards like Skirmish Rhino, Inevitable Defeat, and Barrensteppe Siege also called back to original Tarkir classics of Siege Rhino, Utter End, and the Fate Reforged Siege cycle. This got players excited to see several familiar things they love about Tarkir back once again. Finally, the last card most players saw was the amusingly named Stormscale Scion, representing a true return to the Storm mechanic (excluding Ral, Crackling Wit's ultimate) in Standard once again.
Finally, we got to see the full product lineup for the set. As one might expect, this one is a bit more elaborate than your average set thanks to the focus on the clans. As with the original Khans of Tarkir, there will be five different prerelease kits players can choose from when they play in their local events. Similarly, there will also be five Commander decks, with each one being centered around each of the different clans and their core mechanics.
You can find all the early details on Tarkir: Dragonstorm at these links.
Previews are expected to kick off soon, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more information coming in the near future! If you're hungry to preorder Tarkir: Dragonstorm early, be sure to check out the CoolStuffInc.com page here.
Magic: the Gathering - Final Fantasy
Next, the presentation paused briefly to recap the First Look preview stream for Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy as the set releases after Tarkir: Dragonstorm. The only new information in this part of the panel was that preview season would be kicking off at PAX East on May 10th. If you're interested in the details for the First Look that were briefly covered again here, please check out my full recap of last week's First Look stream here.
Edge of Eternities
The presentation continued with Edge of Eternities being introduced. No cards were previewed during this rundown, and instead we were treated to a plethora of new artwork for the set. This provided a brief exploration of what to expect as we come closer to the set's release and incoming preview season. Art included pieces showing what looked to be astronaut warriors, a space whale, angels made of energy/nebula, space kavu, space land artwork, and - of course - Tezzeret, the main character previously displayed prominently in key art.
The panel also showed off early glimpses of the set's products as well. While most of these are standard fare by now (play boosters, collector boosters, bundles, and prerelease kits) we also got shown the two Commander decks with colors and theming. One is a Jund colored deck named "World Shaper" that appears to revolve around sacrificing and recurring lands. The other is Counter Intelligence, which is a deck that centers on artifacts and proliferating counters.
No further details were revealed on when we'll learn more about this set, however it's likely we'll find out more in a MagicCon later in the year. Check out the full reveal article here, and be sure to scroll through the official Magic: The Gathering Bluesky page for all of the art revealed - many of which can't be featured here or in the official article due to spacing.
Avatar: the Last Airbender
The final announcement of the day revealed the final set of the year, previously announced as "Unannounced Universes Beyond," was going to be based on Avatar: the Last Airbender. This was highly speculated since MTG Arena seemed to sneakily reveal it when several elemental and "bender" related cards made up the store's Daily Deals in early January. Nevertheless, the crowd erupted with excitement as the announcement trailer played, featuring the series' main theme and displaying the four elements of the series surrounding the Magic Planeswalker symbol. This set will be released on November 21, 2025. Additionally, it's worth noting that this announcement marked the show's 20th anniversary as well.
That wraps it up for this MagicCon preview panel! If you'd like to go back and watch the full panel itself, the video is available for viewing on YouTube right now. You can check it out right here. The next preview period is expected to kick off mid-March so be sure to check back in at that time for all the latest Magic: The Gathering info!
Paige Smith
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