Wizards of the Coast dropped a bombshell on the Magic: The Gathering community on Oct. 16, mashing Draft and Set booster packs into the Play booster, and I’m excited for what the future looks like.
Play boosters are the new MTG booster pack replacing Draft and Set boosters, slated to go into effect through the release of Murders at Markov Manor after the first of the year. The new booster pack combines both Draft and Set boosters into one, forever changing the MTG Limited format and how players will purchase regular booster packs in the future. The change is a positive one, in my opinion, but there are potential issues as well.
For years, the MTG community has complained about product fatigue and too many variants and products dumped on players with each set release. WotC created the Play booster to address the number of products offered through each set release, making it potentially easier for distributors and local game stores to have a product that can move off the shelves.
Play boosters will replace Draft boosters on MTG Arena as well, but prices are not expected to increase. This a solid move by WotC considering the monetization system has improved over the years. But are Play boosters the answer to tabletop issues that go beyond inventory and distribution issues?
Changes to the booster pack system in Magic were needed after Set boosters were first introduced, and the Play boosters are certainly changing things up. Limited will never be the same, The List is getting a rework, and Commander cards are no longer in a product that is supposed to target legal-format players first and foremost. Many have opinions on these, both positive and negative like myself. And then there’s the cost: the cost to a player’s wallet and the trading card game itself.
MTG Play boosters are the future of Limited
Limited gameplay is my jam, with prerelease events being the main MTG event I play at my local game stores. Prerelease kits were already a step above regular Drafts, offering players a foil prerelease card that had potential value on the secondary market. The introduction of Play boosters in prerelease kits offers players even more potential value through additional Rare and/or Mythic Rare cards and variants.
The MTG Limited format began changing through the release of March of the Machine, with prerelease kits containing an additional foil card at Mythic Rare rarity in 18 percent of the booster packs. The extra Mythic Rare that could show up in packs created a prerelease meta that was wild and fun. Play boosters will hopefully provide a similar experience through prerelease events, along with regular Draft and Sealed events.
A switch to Play boosters also removes one slot from the booster packs, which isn’t a bad thing. In exchange for playable cards at a higher rarity, I personally don’t mind that I will have up to six fewer cards to work with when crafting a deck to play in the Limited format. And most times I’d rather play a high-rarity Draft chaff card than one with a rarity of Common.
But what if those higher rarity cards don’t show up and the cost of playing in a Limited event at a local game store escalates out of my price range?
The price of Play boosters could deter Limited MTG players
A Play booster pack matches the price of a Set booster pack, according to game designer Mark Rosewater. But Rosewater then went on to say the “value of the booster went up,” which is why Play boosters will cost more than Draft boosters.
“Play Boosters match the cost of a Set Booster, not a Draft Booster, which will result in Limited environments going up in cost slightly,” Rosewater said. “However, the expected value of the booster went up as well because there are opportunities to pull additional rares and mythic rares.”
The “however” is odd after declaring Play boosters are essentially the same price as Set boosters. If Play boosters are the same price as Set boosters are now, the price increase of a prerelease kit may go up around $10. Draft events could potentially increase by around $5 to $6.
These price increases are significant and could result in fewer players showing up at local game stores for events. As long as the expected value of the Play booster is equal to that of a Set booster, there shouldn’t be an issue. But the value has to be there, along with playable cards at every rarity.
Play booster boxes will cost more than a Set booster box, but only because there are six additional packs in the box, according to Rosewater.
MTG Play booster slots
The merger of Draft and Set boosters into Play boosters will bring about a significant change in The List. Rather than pulling a random MTG card from a pool of around 300 each set that I will never likely play with when cracking a set booster pack, cards from The List are now playable within the Limited format.
The number of cards on The List will be significantly reduced with the release of Play boosters, with the design team choosing cards that flavorfully and mechanically synergize with themes from that specific MTG set, according to WotC.
Art cards will no longer have a guaranteed spot through MTG Play boosters. I love art cards but am often disappointed at the lack of value they can hold on the secondary market. Reducing their drop rate will hopefully increase the value of art cards, as I feel artists and their work should be celebrated, even if the art was printed on a card that sees little to no play.
The Commander slot from Set boosters is also being removed. It’s possible Commander cards may show up in Play booster packs as the slots can change up some with the release of each set. I am hoping, though, they don’t. I love the Commander format and Commander products. The original booster, which eventually grew into Set boosters, should have remained as a product for format-legal players. And I believe Play boosters should remain free of a Commander slot going forward.
Bad slot changes leave players with no other options
The downside to flexible slots within a Play booster is WotC could include cards that aren’t playable in Limited or Standard or the value of the card doesn’t match previous values found through Play boosters.
When a slot change takes place that doesn’t benefit the player or collectors, the overall value of the Play booster will likely be reduced and won’t line up with the price increase. This could lead to a decrease in purchases from local game stores to big retailers, potentially causing huge problems for WotC, and maybe even leading to another change in how booster packs are designed, which would be a massive failure.
The same can be said for gameplay. Limited players want multiple archetypes that can succeed. Dropping too many Rare and/or Mythic Rare bombs into a set can warp the meta. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, players don’t want a bunch of chaff in a pack either, especially Standard Constructed cards that are worthless in Draft and Sealed.
The future of MTG Play boosters
The idea of what MTG Play boosters can bring to the table excites me, fulfilling my passion to play in Limited events at local game stores and to crack packs for those collectible goodies. A slight price increase overall doesn’t scare me, as long as WotC delivers on the value of a Play booster pack, from playability to collectability. And the power creep potential in Limited doesn’t worry me as I feel March of the Machine was a success and a step in the right direction.
My main concern, and likely a concern for many others, is that the expected value of a Play booster may not line up with what is actually contained within the packs. And if that happens, WotC will have more to worry about than what to do about Draft boosters not selling.
