What we learned from MagicCon Atlanta 2025
First, What is MagiCon?
MagicCon is a traveling celebration dedicated to Magic: The Gathering. It combines a convention atmosphere with competitive play and community experiences. Attendees can participate in casual and competitive games, watch top‑level tournaments, see previews of future sets, meet artists and content creators, and take part in cosplay contests. The events also host panels, watch parties, merchant booths and spaces for fans and families to enjoy games together. Each gathering aims to connect players of all levels through a shared love of Magic!
Now onto the good stuff..
Highlights of MagicCon Atlanta 2025
The final MagicCon of 2025 was held in Atlanta between 26‑28 September. It featured the Cosplay Contest Grand Championship, where talented cosplayers showcased their elaborate costumes inspired by the game. A Preview Panel offered sneak peeks at upcoming sets and products (more on this later!). Game Knights Live returned with Jimmy Wong and Josh Lee Kwai leading a live Commander game. The event offered an Art of Magic area for signings and talks with artists, along with open play space, a dedicated Command Zone, scavenger hunts and immersive experiences. Content creators gathered in Creator Central to meet fans. Panels and a Pro Tour watch party brought the community together, and the show shop sold exclusive merchandise.
New Products and Announcements
The preview panel revealed a broad slate of Magic products for 2026. Wizards of the Coast announced that there will be seven major sets in 2026 rather than six. The year opens on 23 January with Lorwyn Eclipsed, a return to the plane of Lorwyn with students from Strixhaven crossing between light and dark; hybrid mana and evoke mechanics are expected to return. In April the story continues with Secrets of Strixhaven, a set that ventures beyond the campus and ties into a young‑adult novel titled Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos by Seanan McGuire. The summer introduces a Marvel Super Heroes Universes Beyond set, followed by The Hobbit in August, Reality Fracture in October, and Star Trek in November; an additional Universes Beyond set will be revealed at New York Comic Con in 2025.
During the panel, Wizards showcased Theme Decks, a new line of 60‑card Standard decks designed to be ready to play out of the box. Two Theme Decks will accompany Lorwyn Eclipsed, with more planned for future sets. A product called Draft Night was introduced to make drafting accessible; each box will support a four‑player draft using pick‑two packs and includes basic lands, tokens and a Collector Booster for prizes. Also revealed were special treatments such as reversible borderless shock lands and Fable Frame cards, along with new Final Fantasy scene boxes and other Universes Beyond products.
New Secret Lair Reveals
MagicCon Atlanta brought some of the most ambitious Secret Lair announcements to date. Wizards confirmed thirteen new drops, several of which feature mechanically unique cards that expand play in creative ways.
Among the highlights is Secret Lair × Jaws: Terror of Amity Island, which debuts Jaws, Relentless Predator, a brand-new card designed to capture the tension of the film. The event also introduced the Secret Lair × PlayStation Superdrop, launching October 27, 2025, with seven drops inspired by legendary franchises such as The Last of Us, God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, Uncharted, and Ghost of Tsushima. Each of these includes cards that offer new mechanics tied closely to the stories of their worlds.
Fans of television crossovers also saw the reveal of Secret Lair × The Office: Dwight’s Destiny, which reimagines cards with Dwight Schrute.
Pro Tour Edge of Eternities
MagicCon Atlanta hosted the Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, a Modern format tournament combined with Edge of Eternities booster draft. Over three hundred players vied for a share of the $500,000 prize pool and invitations to the World Championship.
The final match was a battle between combo and control. Michael DeBenedetto‑Plummer’s Tameshi Belcher deck faced Francisco Sánchez’s Day’s Undoing Azorius Control. This ended in a 3‑0 victory, the result crowned Michael DeBenedetto‑Plummer as the Pro Tour champion for Edge of Eternities.
Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos and Beyond
The preview panel also unveiled new narrative expansions! Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos, written by Seanan McGuire, follows a group of Strixhaven students as they explore their identities and discover their place in the multiverse. The novel will tie into the Secrets of Strixhaven set and include a promotional card. In the digital realm, the partnership with Dungeons & Dragons continues with Lorwyn: First Light, a D&D Beyond expansion scheduled for November 2025 that brings Lorwyn themes and creatures to tabletop role‑playing.
Extra Life 2025 Collaboration
In Atlanta, Magic partnered with the charity Extra Life to support Seattle Children’s Hospital. Wizards released a Secret Lair x Play‑Doh: Squishful Thinking drop available at the MagicCon merchandise booth and online, with half the purchase price donated to Extra Life. The drop included a playful take on Greensleeves, Maro‑Sorcerer. MTG Arena offered borderless card styles and Extra Life 2025 sleeves featuring Ajani; proceeds also support the charity. Ultra Pro produced charity‑themed playmats and apparel, and the campaign culminated in an Extra Life Game Day livestream on 8 November 2025.
MagicCon 2026 Schedule
The official festival site announced the locations and dates for the 2026 conventions. MagicCon will visit Las Vegas on 1–3 May 2026, Amsterdam on 17–19 July 2026, and will return to Atlanta on 13–15 November 2026. Each event will continue the tradition of immersive experiences, play events, preview panels and special guests.