You know that bit in Undertale where Frisk looks in the mirror and it says, “despite everything, it’s still you”? That’s how I feel right now about Magic: The Gathering. I’m stepping out of 2022 with a thousand-yard stare, pummelled by endless previews, releases, Secret Lairs, and 30th anniversary controversies. It’s been a lot, but as I look out across my half-finished decks and unsorted cards, I still have the overwhelming sense that, deep down, I still love this game.
I want to take a step back from the anger, controversy, and endlessly spammed ‘Greed’ images, and look at what MTG’s done right this past year. I’ve already gone over my favourite sets, but there’s a lot more to celebrate for Magic, both in terms of releases and my personal experience of the game. Strap in, we’re getting sentimental about cards.
The first big win of this year for Magic was easily Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. I’ve already gone on at length about how good the set is, with a stunning visual design and an interesting artifact vs. enchantment sub theme that creatively channelled its cyberpunk ethos. It’s one of my all-time favourite Standard sets, and the quicker we get back to the neon streets of Towashi, the better.
More than that, though, the weeks surrounding Neon Dynasty’s launch saw Magic dare to look beyond its own, insular self and experiment with other mediums. Kamigawa wasn’t just 300 cards and a few Commander decks; it was an event, with an impeccable story told and retold through manga, anime, a visual novel, and even a soundtrack album. It felt as though Wizards was proud of how it had revitalised Kamigawa, and it was infectious. The community felt energised and happy as Wizards told the world “look, this is Kamigawa. This is what Magic can do”.
Though most of the sets that launched after Kamigawa fell slightly flat for me, the often-criticised Secret Lairs managed to impress with the Pride Across The Multiverse drop back in May. It was one of the most artistically deep releases we’ve ever had, each card oozing with references to all aspects of the queer community – an elderly Alesha (Magic’s first canonically trans character) mentoring the next generation in her art, the wedding of Ral Zarek and his partner, Tomik, and even the representation of larger bodies and the bear community, which rarely gets a look-in when it comes to pride products.
Pride Across The Multiverse didn’t feel like ‘rainbow capitalism’. It wasn’t a gutless push to sell to The Gays. Its team of contributing artists were largely queer, it made developments of multiple relationships (Ral and Tomik, Huatli and Saheeli, and even the re-queer-ification of Chandra following the infamous retcon in the War of the Spark novels), and proceeds from it went to the queer crisis hotline charity The Trevor Project. While Wizards’ handling of Secret Lair this year has been spotty to say the least, this was the one time it got it very, very right.
But Magic isn’t just about the cards you buy. Having come back into Magic in the middle of the 2020 lockdowns, 2022 was my first chance to attend in-person events. Having never even attended a Friday Night Magic before, I decided to throw myself in at the deep end by heading to Birmingham for July’s Commandfest. Thousands of players descended on a mid-sized hotel for a weekend to play Commander, and it completely shattered my preconceptions of what in-person Magic is.
As much as I love Magic and its community, I was slightly concerned that Commandfest was going to be everything non-Magic-playing people imagine the community is: a haven of sweaty try-hards full of arsecracks and a severe lack of deodorant. Instead, I had a fantastic time playing with lovely people who were all excited to be playing Magic in-person. There was no salt, no bad feelings, and no BO. Seeing cards they’d never encountered, pulling off combos they’ve only done on Spelltable, and meeting friends they’ve potentially never met in the flesh, it had an atmosphere I’ve not felt at even big games events in the past. Commandfest made Magic ‘real’ to me.
My next in-person experience was at a much smaller venue, as I attended the prerelease for Dominaria United at my local game store. The store opened during lockdown, and I’d been in a few times, but only to shop – never to play. Going in that Friday night and seeing it absolutely packed with people cracking packs, running over to neighbouring tables to see new cards popping off in big ways, and asking to see what pulls we all got was a delight. I may have been too much of a wuss to draft anything, instead choosing to jam a game of Commander and open up a bundle box while watching from the sidelines, but seeing so many people local to me all loving the same game I do was one hell of a moment.
This year, the best of Magic: The Gathering wasn’t when it was releasing a new product for the fifth time that week. It wasn’t when crossovers with Fortnite or Transformers dropped, or when Post Malone showed up in a trailer. None of that even registered to me; it was the times when I was reminded that your enjoyment of Magic doesn’t exist in a vacuum. When the community is happy and proud of what Magic is, instead of battening down the hatches and weathering the storm of whatever the hell Wizards has been doing the last few months, it’s one of the best games of all time. I just hope we get more of that energy next year.
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