"Light it up."

There was a distant click and whir as cooling fans kicked on. A faint buzz grew to a low droning hum of power with snaps of static and connections as energy raced through them. The sizzle of dust and dormant equipment energizing with the surge of power led into a burst of light.

As afterimages of swirling of colors faded from your eyesight, you could see it worked:

Welcome back to Kamigawa. Things have changed since you were last here.

There's time to prepare before everything arrives.

Take a breath and look ahead: our jump into the plane is just getting started. Let's go.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Key Dates

• Building Worlds: Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty: January 11
• History and Legends of Kamigawa Article Series: January 11–21
• Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Story: January 24–27
• Debut Video and Previews Begin: January 27
• Card Image Gallery Complete: February 4
• Commander Previews: February 7
• Commander Card Image Gallery Complete: February 8
• MTG Arena and Magic Online Release: February 10
• In-Store Prerelease Events and Sales Begin: February 11
• Worldwide Release: February 18
• In-Store Draft Weekend: February 19–20

Story Before Previews

Kamigawa has a rich history, both in-world and for Magic. We're celebrating the depth with both a series of articles looking back at the history and lore of Kamigawa as an appetizer before unleashing the main story of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty ahead of preview season. Whether you're returning for more or exploring for the first time, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is ready for you to join in the fun.

Building Worlds—Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

Are you curious how a Magic set gets made? Want to know what it takes to make a Magic plane come to life? On January 11, we'll show you behind the curtain for a look at building Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Hear from Wizards of the Coast Creative team members and one of several external cultural experts that helped build the environments, aesthetics, and characters we'll meet there.

Before previews begin, see how past lessons and future vision combine to create the Kamigawa of today. Watch Building Worlds: Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty January 11 on the official Magic: The Gathering YouTube channel.

The First Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Details and Previews

Just catching up on all the information we've shared about Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty? We've got you covered.

Blake Rasmussen, joined by Grace Fong and Mark Rosewater, had the scoop with tons of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty details on Weekly MTG, including, of course, the latest cards to reveal.

First up, a fresh-faced planeswalker Kaito Shizuki. Here's two ways he'll appear in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty boosters (and one more you'll find on the official Japanese Magic Twitter account later today), including the unique ninja frame treatment:

We begin Kaito's story when he is just 16 years old, journeying in his duty to track down a mysterious metal-armed man who attacked the emperor of Kamigawa. Learn what he learns and follow his quiet footsteps with the two-part Magic origin story of his journey, available now—with even more to discover in the complete Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty story next year.

The newest planeswalker to Magic isn't all you'll find in booster packs. Taking inspiration from our own world, beautiful Ukiyo-e basic lands await:

These full-art lands are an homage to traditional Japanese woodblock printing and will be available in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters in both traditional foil and non-foil versions. One-third of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Draft and Set Boosters will contain a Ukiyo-e basic land, and every Collector Booster contains one foil Ukiyo-e basic land.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty also draws from the Kamigawa of Magic's past with the return of the familiar reimagined for its future. The legendary Dragon cycle of Champions of Kamigawa is an iconic cycle in the game. In the future, we find a new cycle of Dragons. Meet Atsushi, the Blazing Sky:

Though some of Kamigawa's past didn't need to be updated and carried right through to its neon future. If you remember the Ogre Heartless Hidetsugu, of Hidetsugu's Second Rite fame, then you may know he worshipped the most powerful of oni—the demons of Kamigawa—and succeeded in becoming one himself.

He wasn't called "heartless" for having mercy, even for the very oni he worshipped.

The third treatment, called the soft glow frame, is like Hidetsugu himself: a combination of the past and the future, together, and yet something more than either alone.

And we went one step further.

Unlike the soft glow treatment you'll find on a variety of cards, this neon ink treatment is exclusive to these four versions of Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos—each showing off a new-to-Magic foiling process to make a card truly feel like its glowing. These will be a prized find for players and collectors, and three of these colors are found only in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Collector Boosters: less than 1% of boosters contain a neon ink card. There are about half as many green ink cards as blue ink cards, and about a quarter that many red ink cards as green ink cards.

The fourth, the yellow neon ink treatment, will be available as promotional cards through WPN Premium local game stores.

What's Next for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty?

Keep your eyes on the official Japanese Magic Twitter account later today for the reveal of the third and final version of Kaito Shizuki found in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty boosters. You'll also get a look inside the special Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Platinum Edition package available soon through Beadle and Grimm's.

There may even be another surprise to find in the coming weeks leading up to Building Worlds: Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Four Years in the Making on January 11. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty stories begin on January 24, plus official previews and our kickoff video follow right behind on January 27.

Light it up. The future of Magic is bright with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.

And Just One More Thing. . .

Once Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty arrives, it's time to play, and a fan-favorite event makes its return: after a four-year hiatus, Game Day is back, taking place March 5–6 at local WPN game stores near you.

Battle in Standard or Limited—Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Sealed or Draft—and collect cool promo cards for playing and winning. The participation promo, while supplies last, is Consider, with Top 8 competitors receiving a traditional foil Fateful Absence. The winner can look forward to a traditional foil promotional copy of Atsushi, the Blazing Sky.

Check with your local WPN game store to see what they have in store for Game Day!