Celebrate 30 Years of Magic: The Gathering with 30th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate 30 years of Magic: The Gathering, we knew we had to go big. We had to create an experience for fans new and old that would be worthy of three decades of the original trading card game. We wanted a collectible, commemorative, jaw-dropping, mind-blowing thing that would cement itself in our collective memories as we look toward the next 30 years of Magic.

Enter 30th Anniversary Edition.

That's the back of the cards. But what you really care about is the front.

 

30th Anniversary Edition is a commemorative, collectible, non-tournament-legal product celebrating 30 years of Magic. Inspired by Limited Edition Beta, 30th Anniversary Edition lets fans and collectors experience some of the most iconic elements of Magic's early years.

 

 

Featuring the original art that inspired a generation of Magic fans, 30th Anniversary Edition is built with modern sensibilities and nostalgic roots. 30th Anniversary Edition will be on sale for the holidays, available November 28 for $999 on 30thEdition.wizards.com. And even with Magic growing tremendously throughout the past 30 years, we have gone back to our roots with a limited-edition print run.

We expect that orders in North America will be received this year. If you live in other regions this product is shipped to, it will likely arrive sometime in early 2023. We'll be sharing more details on how the sale will work as we move closer to the sale date of November 28.

Each display of 30th Anniversary Edition will contain four packs of pure nostalgia reimagined in a modern context. Each pack contains 15 cards, 13 cards in the modern frame—1 rare, 3 uncommons, 7 commons, and 2 basic lands—plus one basic land in the retro frame, one additional retro frame card, and a token.

 

The retro frame slot is especially interesting, as approximately three out of every ten packs will contain a rare retro frame card—anything from a Black Lotus to a Mahamoti Djinn to a Volcanic Island. That means that some packs will contain two rares, and some will even contain two pieces of the Power 9!

Speaking of Volcanic Island, we know the dual lands are an iconic part of Magic's early history, so each dual land appears twice as frequently as any other non-dual land rare. This is true for both modern frame and retro frame dual lands.

 

Additionally, nearly every 30th Anniversary Edition card included matches the rarity of its counterpart in Limited Edition Beta. There are no mythic rares, and no rarities have been shifted. These cards do, however, have modern wording and modern corners, and we've slightly touched up some of the art for a clearer, modern look.

 

 

The only card that doesn't match its original rarity is another special add-on for 30th Anniversary Edition: Sol Ring is a card that's near and dear to many players, so we created a special new crop of the original art that will appear at common rarity in both the modern and retro frames. Sol Ring also appears at uncommon.

There are some other nostalgic touches as well. The retro frame is the same frame we used in Time Spiral Remastered. We also brought back the original white mana symbol, the original basic land template, and the classic art!

 

These collectible cards are not tournament legal. They have a different back and are not legal in any sanctioned Magic event. They're meant to be collectible items commemorating 30 years of Magic. So few people had the experience of opening a Black Lotus or Mox Sapphire when Magic was originally released that we wanted to recapture some of that iconic experience for generations new and old.

 

While we wanted to share some of the experience, we also reinterpreted this product with a modern approach. We wanted to be nostalgic, but not everything met our modern standards. So, we removed six cards completely. The cards removed are:

• Contract from Below
• Darkpact
• Demonic Attorney
• Earthbind
• Weakness
• Crusade

Additionally, we made some smaller changes to a few other cards, mostly with flavor text.

Finally, because this is a celebration, we wanted to spread the love around. We also intend to gift—completely free of charge—one display of 30th Anniversary Edition to all WPN stores, and three copies to all Premium WPN stores. This will include stores in regions where this product cannot otherwise be shipped. It's a gift we wanted to share with some of our strongest partners; WPN stores should check with their representative for more details.

 

30th Anniversary Edition celebrates 30 years of Magic by recapturing the, well, magic of the early years. It's a memorable collectible, an iconic experience, and a truly unforgettable way to commemorate our favorite game.

 

 

 

To see all the cards, visit the Magic 30th Anniversary Edition Card Image Gallery.